The Lunar Guardsman
by Crimmar
Summary: Twilight and Spike lived their childhood in Canterlot Castle under the benevolent eye of Princess Celestia and violent protection of her resident, so called, monster. A monster she returns to to find peace with but also unexpected danger and threats.
1. Ch01 - Prologue

Twilight focused at the apple before her. She took note of every single detail, every scratch and imperfection on its skin. She let her eyes travel over the clipped stem, stalling as she memorized the direction and curvature, and let her sight rest over the single tiny green leaf that curled on it. She stood completely still, the only part of her given to motion being her eyes, the irises moving erratically as they zeroed in on the tiniest dimple and discoloration. Her horn lit up as she picked up the object of her scrutiny in her manipulation of the magic field and gently, oh so gently and careful, she rotated the apple one eighth of its diameter to the left before restarting the whole process.

The operation was going smoothly. It was slow going, sure, and she would have to repeat it twice over again so she could entrench in her memory the bottom and the top of the apple from their respective view. But success hinged on the meticulousness of her actions and Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and protege extraordinaire would not be found wanting.

At least not for the 18th time in a row.

Her head shook slightly, the smallest shudder possible so as to not dislodge or blur her vision and removed those distractions from her mind. Magic was calling. _Success_ was calling.

After a great unknown number of minutes, time spent being one of the unimportant aspects of this venture, she felt ready. The red, shiny apple now existed in two places at once. One was right in front of her. The other rested in her mind's eye, ready to be manipulated and bring change to its material brother.

She closed her eyes. Everything she needed lay right in her perfect memory. She channeled her horn, slowly, subtly bringing change to the magic field that clung on the seemingly spotless flesh of the fruit before her. _Spotless_ , she scoffed. She knew every weakness and sore that lay on that apple. And now, she would take away the one that dared to affront her so.

Her spell ended. This was it. The fruit of her labors, in a most literal way, was in front of her. She opened her eyes slowly, exulting in the coming view of her triumph.

The apple was orange.

It wasn't red anymore. It was orange. Orange as in, orange, the color that isn't yellow. The one she tried to change the apple to. Again.

Eighteen failures in a row.

The young filly picked up the apple in her hoof and with a bellowing cry of rage, not a high pitched scream, _the distinction was important_ , she chucked that Celestia-damned apple to the furthest reaches of the Canterlot Royal Library.

The eleven year old unicorn took some satisfaction in that throw. She made it as far as 6 reading tables away. That was a new record at least.

Well, that one and the eighteen fail-she would not think about that!

She pouted and looked down on her book. _'The Illustrated Illusion Instruction Itinerary' by Pipe Dream_. The theory section had already been flipped over and the book was open on the practical exercise section. Page two.

She looked around. The library took over most of a wing of the Castle, the rest of it shared by the Royal Archives and some rooms and offices for their attendants. The shelves were stacked high, up to 5 times a pony's height with small rolling ladders positioned intermittently around. The library space was separated into smaller wings, each wing containing a category or sub category of a subject on their own, with small walled spaces that formed reading sections for ponies to bring their books and read in silence. Each reading room, she knew, was enchanted with a sound dampening spell that kept noises down, both those that came from outside the room but also from outside to inside.

Having heard, and caused, the deafening, echoing explosion of sound that came from the fall of a book from it's shelf on to the stone floor she understood why. Giant rooms with hard surfaces turned themselves into acoustic chambers that could bombard someone's nerves every time somepony just walked around.

She was in such a reading room right now. Nopony else was around, which was a small miracle by itself since this room, being the closest one to the entrance, was usually the first in line for anypony to put to use. But for hours now it has been her sole domain. Well, not just hers, she did have some company with her. Which explained why they were left in peace for so long.

The apple, now sporting exciting new bruises, was placed in front of her again. She looked up and saw the tall, bipedal form of her bodyguard, friend and surrogate father, titles not ordered by importance, gently bend over at his midpoint as he rested his hands inside his crude jacket's pockets and used one of his long legs to hook and drag a stool beneath him in a coordinated movement that baffled her every single time. That kind of balance on two legs was just plain unnatural.

Raegdan's black eyes, smaller that any pony's, locked into hers as he examined her.

"Someone is getting frustrated." He said in his broken accent. It was getting better but the curious mix of the hard and soothing tones of his mother tongue were still there beneath it all.

"Oh, no, what possibly made you think that?" she mocked.

He gave no answer beyond narrowing his eyes a bit and quickly turning his head to watch as her manipulation of the field evaporated from the apple, turning it back to its natural red. "How many times have you tried this so far?"

Twilight's young face frowned in defeat. "Eighteen." Her horn lit up furiously once again. "Well, I am getting it now though. Just watch."

His hand whipped out and grabbed the apple before she could begin her ministrations. "I think not. You should stop."

"I can't stop!" she protested. The very thought filled her with indignity. She wouldn't let a stupid apple stop her from completing her homework assignment. That's what students who did not wish to be mentored by Princess Celestia any longer would do. "I have to finish my homework."

He threw the apple up in the air in a straight line. As she followed the motion, he caught it again and threw it up again and again in a single handed juggling, each time giving the apple a new rotation that nevertheless didn't affect its straight orbit upwards.

"You cast the spell eighteen times so far. Tell me", he asked, "did you cast the same spell the same way you did on this try as you did on your first one?"

"Of course." Raegdan kept launching the apple at the air, slowly increasing the height and speed of rotation. It was starting to actually wobble a little, she noticed. He had to make small adjustments to his hand's position to catch it before it landed on the table.

"I see." He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. "So explain to me. Why did you think you would get a different result than you did on your first one?"

She was mystified at this. The answer was plain after all. "Because I would cast it better."

More throws. "Did you do exactly what the book told you to do the first time?"

"Yes." Another question with a self evident answer. She always did as the books said.

"Exactly as the book said? Did you follow every little detail?"

"I cast the spell perfectly. I am sure I did." Watching the apple was kind of relaxing actually. The spins were getting very intense and really affecting the fruit's balance. It was fascinating in its own way.

"I believe you." He assented. "Now, I want you to answer this next question carefully. I am a little dumb and I might have missed something so..."

"You are not dumb," she said annoyed.

"Well, I am at a lot of things. This might be another one of them. Now, my question."

She waited. He threw the apple up one last time. He quickly brought his arm up and caught it mid descent with a satisfying "thwap" sound as it made contact with his palm. He crouched himself down on her eye level.

"If you cast the spell perfectly the first time, how could you cast it better on the next seventeen attempts?"

Her brain lurched. Slowly it started working again, though not before stopping her from doing a charade of a fish trying to feed.

"Just, you know. Better." Ok, maybe she needed a few more seconds for her brain to go back to full power.

He drew his torso back. "If it didn't work as it was supposed to with a perfect casting then there is only one reason it didn't. You made a mistake."

"I did not make a mistake!" she protested. "I cast the spell exactly as the book instructed and the spell's composition in the book is perfectly correct. There is no mistake in the spell."

"You misunderstand my little one." He placated her. "I didn't mean that the spell or the book had a mistake."

She puffed her chest. Darn right there was no mistake. Books do not make mistakes.

"I meant that it was you who made a different mistake altogether."

 _So that's how balloons feel when the knots untie_. "What."

"You are trying to turn the apple yellow right?"

"Actually, I am trying to compile the magic field that surrounds it into an selective reflective surface so that the naked eye sees a yellow coloration. The apple itself won't change at all.", she explained.

"Ha!" He pointed at her with one of his fingers, the rest of them curled into a fist. "But when you do that the apple turns orange instead."

"This isn't funny," she complained, "I have spent hours on the same spell and I have nothing to show for it." She frowned, rubbing her face with a hoof. The repeated failures and frustration were getting to her. She could feel her eyes dampen and fought back the urge to cry.

Raegdan's face turned worried and he quickly hurried off his seat. He placed himself next to her and started stroking her mane with one hand, the other lightly scratching her back at that place, right between her shoulder blades, that she could never really get on her own.

"I'm sorry my little one. I didn't mean to make fun of you by laughing. I just meant that I think I know what went wrong."

"You do?" This made zero sense. Raegdan had absolutely no magic in him. He couldn't manipulate the magical fields in any way, shape or form. Best he could do was disrupt it with his touch. He had no idea how it felt to have magic flow through you or the sensitive pressures in was shaped under. All he had was what he had garnered from her studies as he escorted her around, mainly in magical theories.

It was another one of his tricks to helping her actually that enabled him to know as much as he did without having a sense for magic. Every time she happened upon a subject that gave her trouble he would have her give him a lecture about it.

She liked that one. It made her feel like she believed Princess Celestia did when she taught her. It was a type of make believe game that worked wonders for her understanding of the subject she would struggle with. Attempting to explain a magical theory or anything else, say history, to Raegdan would quickly either reveal her own holes in her knowledge or even more astonishing, facets of facts she had read would connect with each other and shine through in a sudden burst of understanding.

Was it any wonder then how infuriating it was that he often found answers to magic problems while unable to make use of it?

"Yes I do my little one." he hugged her close to his warm body. "And guess what, I got the answer for you all packed in your favorite form."

"What do you mean?" she asked from her snugly position.

Raegdan didn't answer with words. Instead, he reached for a book she hadn't noticed on the table before and brought it in front of her so she could read the title.

'Basic Painting Techniques and Color Theory' by Dry Brush.

* * *

She felt like screaming. She couldn't believe how simple it all was once she read about color mixing. It was so stupidly simple and terrifyingly brilliant how the spell worked once she had more proper context that she could hardly hold her voice in.

Too bad she was in a library. Making some loud noise would be so satisfying right now. She looked next to her at Raegdan as he skimmed through a book about the old Caravan Trade Guild. What did he do to express his own frustration? Ah, right...

She gritted her teeth and growled like he often did. Much better.

Raegdan put his book down. He picked up the yellow apple and held it up proudly, its real coloration returning with his touch fizzling the spell off it.. "See, I knew you would get it in the end. You always do. Plus, all that practice helped you cast the spell almost instantaneous."

"For simple objects, sure." She groaned. "I can't believe I didn't see the problem before. I cast the exact same spell on a white page and it worked. It was so obvious."

"Everything is in..." he faltered. "Twilight, is there a word for when you look back at something you did and see the wrongs after the fact?"

The dictionary in her mind flipped over a few pages. "The word is _'hindsight'_ ".

He pronounced the word a few times to himself. "Everything is obvious in hindsight?" She nodded at his questioning look. "You got it now, that's important."

"How did you figure it out anyway?" she asked curiously. "I don't remember anything like that in my lessons."

He grinned. "Ah, I got the edge on you on that because of my kind's education." Twilight stopped reading what was in front of her and instead paid extra attention to Raegdan's words. If she was right he was going to let slip a few rare words about his past life.

"It's actually early in our physics education where we learn about how light is actually made up of," he made a waving motion with his hand hesitantly, " _wave things_ , I don't know the correct word, each _wave_ a certain color. So, when you look at the apple you just see the light that reflects on it which has had some of its _waves_ absorbed by the apple so instead..."

She followed the hesitant explanation and completed the thought. "So instead of seeing white I see the apple as red." He nodded. "So I see the white page as white because..."

"Because white surfaces reflect light without absorbing waves."

Understanding dawned. "So, it really works like color mixing. When I cast the spell I added yellow to a surface that had no coloration so it became yellow. It didn't work on the apple cause it was like mixing red and yellow and it turned orange. But when I just took the red out..."

"Yeah, that's about it. Though I guess the spell does a lot of the translation between how you define color and what the light _waves_ really are." He seemed to be pondering on that.

All of this sounded extremely interesting to her. And she bet Princess Celestia would think the same too. "The way this spell is made I think it was put together by trial and error to figure out the color changes. You should share all that you can remember about light with the Princess. Knowing how light works is safe enough isn't it?" She tried to entice him. Oh stars, it would be so great to know more about his kind's knowledge of physics.

Raegdan alternated between looking at her and the apple in his hand. _He is thinking about it. Come on, come on, come on, say yes, say yes, say yes..._

"It seems harmless enough I guess. But then, make the right spell and you could use light to cut through steel as if it was mist."

...She did not just hear that. There is absolutely no way you can do that. Can you?

"Then again," he continued, smirking teasingly at her, "you could use the same principles to see the building blocks of creation and measure them."

She was thirsty. When was the last time she drank anything? Her mouth felt as dry as the badlands.

"You can do that?" she whispered. She was being pranked, she had to be.

"No," he admitted. Hah, she didn't fall for it. Twilight still felt oddly disappointed though. _To be able to do that..._ her thoughts were interrupted when he continued "I don't know the exact science needed behind building those kind of devices. But with magic and knowing what you want to achieve? I guess you guys can make some pretty good imitations of our stuff."

 _'See the building blocks of creation and measure them'_. Of course his kind didn't have magic. If they did it would be unfair to the rest of the world. From the precious tidbits Twilight could get from Raegdan, his unnamed kind were on their way of becoming gods.

He breathed deeply and turned back to her. "I'll write some stuff down and get it to Celestia I guess, along with my notes on biology, when I am done with them. Now, homework. What's next?"

Biology? She'd ask about it but previous attempts told her that once he changed the subject away from his kind or himself he would clam up on any following questions. Instead, she turned over to page three of the practical exercise section. Then she quickly flipped through a few of the next. "I am gonna need a multicolored object for most of the next exercises. I have to manipulate the spell so I can change colors selectively in various numbers and combinations."

Raegdan scanned around. "I'll go find something. Wait here for me. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Ok, dad," she sang.

Raegdan paused on his way out and flashed a wide smile at her, showing off his sharper cutting teeth. She blushed as he turned around the shelves.

She didn't really mean to call him that. It just popped out every once in a while. She knew he wasn't her dad, her real dad lived just outside Canterlot. Raegdan himself escorted her to her parents' home weekly. At least, Raegdan didn't mind, nor did her dad when Raegdan told him about her increasing habit to do so.

She had overheard them without them knowing about it. Raegdan was... timid about it. Almost ashamed actually. It was very jarring because he wouldn't hesitate to stand up even against Princess Celestia and make snarky comments about her... size. To see him fidget and worry across her relatively tiny father was one of the weirdest sights of her young life. Her father had picked up on that very fast however and reassured him.

 _"A father's main job is to protect his foal. The way I see it, you are there every day, all day, doing my job. I think you earned the right for her to call you dad every once in a while. Just understand, we wouldn't mind seeing her here a little bit more often, eh?"_

It cut off some time from her studies but Raegdan made a point to bring her to her parents every chance he got for a long enough visit or even sleepover. It made her family much happier and even with the increased contact she had with her parents again the slip of the tongue increased in volume.

Worse, she was pretty sure she called Princess Celestia _'mom'_ before she fell asleep last night.

She needed to take those thoughts out of her head. She picked up the book Raegdan brought her and turned to the color theory section again. She gave off another growl for good measure. That felt really good. Aggressive and challenging. _Come at me, laws of magics and science. You are no match for my brains._

She spent the next minute revising the chapter, taking care to growl at every paragraph.

"Shameful."

Twilight dropped the book as she jumped her way up towards the ceiling. She could feel her heart thumping a fast beat as if it was practicing for a new career as a drum soloist. Shaken, she looked behind her seat to see an old unicorn mare looking down at her. The sneering mare's mane was a deep pink with a few lighter and gray hairs peppering through while her coat was a pale yellow. Twilight tried to get a glimpse at her cutie mark but the unicorn was dressed in a long white coat that covered it.

Her demeanor didn't instill a lot of hope in the young student that this would be a happy meeting but she opted to remain courteous as she had been taught. "Excuse me, can I help you?" she asked as politely as she could.

"Look at you," the unnamed mare said with contempt dripping from every syllable. "Not only do you bear with that _thing's_ presence, you even adopt its crude mannerisms."

Twilight tried to rebuke her, "His name is Raegdan, he is my friend and..."

"A name!" the mare exploded, disgust in her face. "That monster is not fit to have the same dignity that is afforded to a pet. And you!" Twilight had to cross her eyes to keep the offending hoof in her sight as it was placed not a centimeter away from her muzzle, "You call it a friend? I knew there were even unicorns who could fall so low but to see the Princess' own student do so? Are you so starved for attention you cling to a thing like that? Imitate it so it will grunt its approval to you?"

Twilight realized what this was all about. The offended mare was either a noble or part of their supporters. And one of the few things that almost everypony of Canterlot's Nobility would agree on was their utter disapproval of someone not of their ranks enjoying any kind of recognition from the Princess. Twilight herself was an often coveted target for their ire those last two years. Every move or word of hers would be misconstrued as a fault or insult towards them or the Princess at every opportunity. There were only two things shielding her from almost all of their attempts to hurt her in any way they could conceive. The first one was Princess Celestia herself, with only the most conceited ponies even entertaining the thought to attempt anything near where Celestia could witness it.

The second was Raegdan. He kept her away from their attention by simple virtue of being a much more hated target for their anger. What they saw as a beast had been offered quarters in the Palace and had the attention of the Princess of the Sun seemingly on demand, joining her almost daily in her public and private activities. They harbored nothing but hate and contempt for him and Raegdan knew it. Of course, this being Raegdan, instead of the slightest attempt to mollify them he had decided to up the ante on his own ways.

But right now? He wasn't here. And this mare was determined to bring Twilight as low as she could while she was vulnerable.

Knowing what the pale yellow unicorn was trying to do wasn't offering her any ways to protect herself however. Twilight could only stammer and tear up as the noblepony twisted every trembling word that she managed to speak through the incoming tears to plunge her daggers deeper into her.

"I... I am not... not wasting Celestia's time..." Twilight struggled to pull the syllables out of her chest.

Her accuser's eyes were wide, filled with anger and malice. "You dare evoke the Princess' name without her proper title? You conceited, arrogant foal. You will be cast out of Canterlot soon, mark my words." Twilight's back was forced against the table, the mare's face only inches away from her, her mouth throwing spit on her with every sentence she roared at her. "Once I notify our Monarch of her _student's_ ," she said with derision, "remarks, you will be lucky if she just sends you packing back to your worthless parents."

Twilight did not believe her. Princess Celestia would believe her over this mare but a part of the little filly, a part that was growing in size and filled with fear and doubt was shouting ' _what if she is right_ '. Twilight could do nothing to stop herself from crying while insults and condemnations were piled upon her.

"Stop... please, stop..." she begged.

The pink haired demon smiled wickedly at her and made a show of looking around. "I hope you have enjoyed your short time at this library you insolent riffraff cause you are not seeing it again once you walk out of here." Her triumphant smile was quick to run and hide however when an appendage unique in the lands of Equestria landed on her right shoulder and its unbelievably strong fingers dug into her coat.

"She is going to walk out of here alright. And do you know why? Because I don't want her to see why _you_ won't be able to."

Raegdan had crouched low enough to bring his mouth next to the unicorn's ear, his other hand wrapped around her horn, effectively blocking her from casting any spell with his disruptive abilities towards magical fields. His face was expressionless but Twilight could almost see the pure hate bleeding out of his eyes and voice.

"Raegdan, don't do..." she tried to stop him from doing anything to make things worse for himself but he wasn't going to let her.

He whipped his attention towards her, taking in the horrible sight she was sure she was in, her face must have been covered in snot and her coat matted down with her tears. His pupils shrunk and the terrified mare inhaled sharply as his fingers tightened their hold. He lost his frightening visage and some warmth slipped in his voice when he addressed her. "Twilight, I want you to go outside and get the guards there to escort you to Celestia. I am going to be busy here for a bit exchanging... words with my new friend."

The casual way he talked about the Princess gave the mare some courage or enough indignation to speak up. "How dare you talk about our Princess like that you vile beast?" That turned to be a mistake as she once again became Raegdan's sole focus.

And he responded to her post haste by pulling her up by the horn, up on her back legs, only to bring her head back down on the table with unrelenting force, blood spurting from her broken muzzle in a splash around her head like a painted halo.

"Go now, Twilight," he ordered.

She didn't hesitate. She didn't want to see this. She ran towards the Royal Library doors, the mare's whimpers echoing behind her along with Raegdan's chuckles. She would do as he said. She would get the guards outside. But not to bring her to Celestia. That mare was horrible, but she didn't deserve to be left alone with Raegdan when he was like that. She would tell the two guards outside to stall him long enough for her to get the Princess here.

The Princess would be able to stop him.

* * *

Almost an hour later Twilight was cowering deep in a pile of cushions in Celestia's bedroom. She had used the luxurious bathroom to clean up and tried to rest as she had been told. But sleep escaped her while doubts and fears where buzzing inside her.

As soon as she burst into the huge Throne Room where Celestia was holding her Sun Court she quickly shouted out to the Princess as loud as she could over the bustling of the crowd. "Raegdan... A mare... he is going to kill her!"

That was all she was able to breath out in her exhaustion but Princess Celestia understood all too well. She paused long enough to give directions to her aides to cancel the rest of the Court and then teleported to Twilight's side, wrapped one wing around her and with another explosion of magic brought them both to her quarters.

"Where is he Twilight?" Celestia asked her calmly.

"At the Library, the reading section near the entrance. Princess, he..." Celestia shushed her with a wing and nuzzled her softly.

"It's alright, Twilight. Wait here and rest. I'll take care of it." And then she was gone in another teleport.

She hadn't heard anything yet from either of them. The absence of news and her fears were filling her up with dread. She shouldn't have told Celestia that Raegdan was going to kill that pony. Oh, he would hurt her enough but not outright murder her. He didn't do that.

Sometimes she wondered if that was because he didn't want to kill or because he wanted them hurting more. She removed the disturbing question from her mind and examined the white tiled floor of the bedroom in an attempt to divert her musings. The white tiles were large but smaller sections had been cut from them to make room for the flowing gold metal that formed Celestia's cutie mark. The same relief was mirrored identical right on top of it on the ceiling. Now that she thought about it, Celestia's cutie mark was all over her rooms. Her doors had the same design, the bed's wooden headrest, the white curtains had light gold stitching which she suspected would form the same design when they were pulled closed. Did Celestia ask for everything to be decorated like that or did some designer do it to impress her? Was it because of what the Princess called " _poor phrasings_ " that made everyone think she wanted her cutie mark plastered everywhere in sight?

Her own poor phrasing might be what pushed Princess Celestia to be harsher than she should. What if she really hurt Raegdan in her belief she was stopping him from murdering one of her subjects? It would be her fault, hers because she overstated his intentions.

And even if she didn't hurt Raegdan... She did just betray him, didn't she? She sicced two guards on him, plus a couple others who were patrolling nearby and then sent the Princess against him. And the reason she did that? Because she couldn't defend herself from a verbal assault from an unknown mare. He rushed to her aid and she... tattled on him immediately.

Twilight closed her eyes and once again tried to get some sleep. She felt exhausted and the pillows were so amazingly soft and warm, saturated with mom's soft scent...

She was nudged awake an unknown amount of time later. The sun no longer shined through the windows so that meant she had slept the day away at least. Next to her, sitting on the bed was Raegdan, smiling sadly at her. At the soft white light coming from the scones next to the bed she could easily see the swelling around one of his eyes and the bruises covering half his face. Questions about what happened where forming with astounding speed but were all pushed aside so she could jump on him and hug him as hard as she could.

"Hey little one." He whispered, his voice as soothing as always when she was scared or alarmed. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm fine." Twilight answered and kept busy for a while just holding onto him and nuzzling the side of his face that wasn't hurt.

"What happened to you?" His bruises were worrying her. She relaxed her hold on him, realizing that if he was hurt that bad on his face his body must have been as bad, she just couldn't see it with the clothes he wore. "How did you get hurt? Did Celestia..."

"No, she didn't have to kick my face in." He interrupted her, tightening his own hold at her. "When Celestia popped in she told me to drop her, so I did." From the tittering way he said that she could compose a scenario of how that drop occurred.

"And the bruises?"

"Well, the guards weren't going to just kindly ask me to back off, you know? I am impressed though, I didn't expect an earth pony to be able to do that kind of jump for an air kick." He gently rubbed his swollen eye.

"Did you hurt them?" The guards were sent to stop him because of her, she didn't like the thought of any of them having to be hospitalized.

"Nah, I just threw them around on each other and they in turn tapped me a few times while one of them was trying to drag the bitch out of reach." He frowned, glancing to the closed bedroom doors. "Don't tell Celestia I swore in front of you, ok? It just slipped out."

She giggled. At least nopony was really hurt. "I'm sorry I tattled you out," she apologized, her mood turning morose fast again. "I shouldn't have done that."

He unwrapped his arms from her, grabbed her and deposited her on his side, on top of a white pillow. " _This_ is what you are worrying about? Really?"

She nodded.

He huffed and covered his face with his hands. He stayed like that for a few seconds before removing them and addressing her again. "Little one, you did the right thing."

She didn't say anything, just waited, her questions written on her face.

He got up from the bed and kneeled in front of her, putting their heads on the same level. "Listen, what I did, what I was going to do, was wrong."

"But you _were_ just defending me from her."

"I was, my little one. That was right to do. But you know what I was going to do to her, right? That I was going to hurt her really, really bad?" He waited for her nod. "I am not a good person, Twilight, no, don't try to say anything. I am good to you and a few others but that doesn't mean a lot to everyone else now, does it? I would overdo it and she would have ended up in a hospital or worse, not because I needed to do so to protect you, but because I would enjoy hurting her too much to stop."

"I don't get it. You know you shouldn't do things this way. Why don't you just... stop yourself?"

He shrugged. "I can't? I don't want to? I realize I take it too far only in hindsight," he chuckled and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand when it failed to get the same reaction out of her. "Oh, come on, not even a little smile for remembering a tough new word?"

She afforded him a small fleeting smile. Very small. Barely curled the corners of her mouth. Raegdan's face lit up like the sun even at that little. Was it any wonder how she loved him when he would respond like this to her every tiny move?

"So I did the right thing?" she asked desperately.

He patted her head. "I heard what she called me, little one. Many ponies here call me a monster too. And sometimes, I kind of become one. I don't seem to mind that however, do I?"

"No," she agreed.

"Do you know why I don't care?"

She shook her head.

"Because I know that if I become a monster, you and Celestia will do the right thing and be there to stop me."


	2. Ch02 - I wrote a letter home today

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; it's the contents of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever._

 _Your faithful student,_

 _Twilight Sparkle_

§ § § § § § § § §

Twlight released her magic's hold on the letter and let it drop down as she covered her face with her hooves. She had been lying on her bed for an hour now, reading the same report over and over.

She felt certain she held the not-so-coveted number one rank of the greatest hypocrites to ever wield a quill top ten.

When she woke up this morning she set off on tackling the routines that involve keeping a library running on tip-top shape. Cleaning, stacking, organizing. Cleaning -though necessary- wasn't really up high or even mid-place of her checklist of fun activities but, oh boy, stacking and organizing were enjoying the view from their seat on-high.

To multiply the factor of enjoyment she was getting out of the experience she had decided to tackle her own personal items and correspondence after being done with the main library space. That meant, among a multitude of other things, that she had to gather and stack in the proper order all of the reports that Princess Celestia had sent back to her to help her fight off Discord's spell.

Every scroll was unwrapped, given a cursory glance to its contents and put in its proper order according to date sent. However...

When she got to this one she stalled. She smiled at the memory of the poison joke's effects. Enough time had passed that her brain glossed over how truly horrible it was and found some humor in it. Crude vulgarity of a floppy horn aside, the effects it caused on her friends were pretty hilarious, especially the fluffy Rarity.

But the letter's message stuck in her mind. It made her feel strange. Like she was... unappreciative?

Cruel.

Guilty!

And with all the pleasantness expected of an infested wound spreading open, memories and thoughts she had kept locked aside erupted to the front.

 _...a glistening red drop swell more and more till gravity won over and it splashed in the almost full bucket..._

Twilight groaned and pressed her hooves tighter against her eyes. Did she really write that friendship report to the Princess? What was she thinking?

 _..."This is sick. I can't believe you can just... just..." her throat was sore from screaming. She kept backing away from him, away from that grizzly... thing. "Stay away from me! Stay away you_ ** _MONSTER_** _!"_

Raegdan...

How long had it been now? She had stayed in Ponyville for about a year so that meant at least two years since then. All that time and no letters, no attempts to talk, not from Raegdan, Spike or Princess Celestia. She wondered about that, how none of them tried to bring it up before it made sense to her.

He always complied by her requests. If he believed she hated him and wanted him to remain unseen and unheard, he would do so. And force everypony else to it too.

She had been back to Canterlot a few times since she relocated to Ponyville. Most particularly when she and the girls attended the Grand Galloping Galla. She saw no sign of him and nopony spoke about him. It was like he was never there, as if he didn't ever exist.

Was this really the kind of mare she had become? She didn't even spare a second to ask about him. She just... let everything fade, all the times together, all the help and support. Because she never understood the lesson she had the gall to write about all those months away until today.

 _Well no more,_ she resolved. She looked around. Spike was still out shopping. She got hold of ink and paper and brought them before her. She was finally going to write the letter she should have written long ago and as soon as Spike got back he would send it.

Twilight Sparkle broke this. Twilight Sparkle _was_ going to fix it.

* * *

 _'Twilight Sparkle couldn't fix a one breaded sandwich cause she is too dumb and cowardly,'_ the purple unicorn fumed inwardly while pacing back and forth in front of a napping baby dragon. She stopped, checked Spike for any signals of an incoming magic hiccup and then went back to making a liar out of her floor's wood varnish.

She had a beautifully worded letter in mind! A letter that would explain her reasons, communicate her fears, get her her grief across and petition for forgiveness. And then she touched her quill to parchment and it all went poof!

Unable to actually write a letter meant for her actual target without getting jitters even on her magical grip, she instead opted for a more common solution. Stripped to its basic essence it went like this:

§ § § § § § § § §

 _Dear Princess Celestia,_

 _I bucked up. I want to tell Raegdan I am sorry for everything but I am afraid writing to him will not work. What do?_

 _Your dumdum student,_

 _Twilight Sparkle_

§ § § § § § § § §

She sent the letter three hours ago and there was no answer yet. Of course, it was morally reprehensible to expect Princess Celestia to drop everything to answer back immediately but still... this was important.

She was considering the merits of writing a more eloquent version of the letter, one that reiterated the importance of a swift answer to her crushed self-esteem, when she saw Spike stir.

She was on top of him -slightly positioned to the left though, magic dragonfire is still fire- and excitingly watched Spike switch sides and keep on snoring.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, da..._

Her pacing was interrupted when she heard the library door crash open and a voice call out from downstairs. "Hey Twilight! Are you here?" she recognized Rainbow Dash's voice.

She hesitated for a moment. She really wanted to get this whole thing sorted out but until she got an answer back from the Princess there wasn't much else to do. Maybe a small distraction would be good right now. Her nerves already felt like strings that had been wound up too far.

"I'm here Rainbow," she called back as she climbed down the stairs. "What's the occasion?" When she reached the bottom, she noticed that Rainbow was not alone. Rarity and Applejack had also come in and all of them had started making themselves comfortable at seats placed around the reading tables.

"Hey sugarcube. We were all gonna head out for lunch together and thought ya might wanna come with." Applejack had taken off her stetson and fanning herself as she spoke.

"Indeed." Rarity added immediately. "It is a lovely day, though a mite too hot for my liking, and it would be a crime to let it go to waste."

Twilight was appreciative of their invite, really and honestly touched by their unthinking effort to include her in their daily plans, but she had to shoot it down. She gave a short glance behind her at the stairwell she just came down from. "I am sorry girls, but I will have to pass. I'm in the middle of something-"

She was interrupted mid sentence by Rainbow's raspberry. "Pffft. You are always in the middle of something. Come on Twilight, it's just lunch, what will taking an hour off to eat cost you?"

Before Twilight could articulate a dishonest answer she was caught off guard by a loud yawn coming from behind her. Spike walked by her side, his hands scratching his sides as he fought over his drowsiness. "The letter's here Twilight. I'm telling you, this one almost came up wrong. Is it possible to have the letters send some kind of warning before coming through?" Spike was holding one of his nostrils closed and rubbing it as he raised the envelope up.

"I'm pretty sure that would only make you sneeze twice." Her eyes glued themselves to the envelope, her mind striving to come up with an excuse to empty the library from her guests.

Rainbow Dash's eyebrows lifted up. "A letter? Is that what you were gonna blow us off for Twilight?"

Spike, the horrible assistant that piped out mission critical info before she even had a chance to decide if she wanted it shared, answered Rainbow Dash. "Yeah. Twilight sent a letter back home earlier today. That's the response."

"Home?" Rarity inquired.

"Canterlot Castle."

"Oh yes." Rarity waved with her hoof in a dismissive motion. "I know that you and Twilight were raised at the Castle but the outstanding fact of it does tend to boggle and escape the mind."

Twilight was feeling her nonexistent patience running thin and she had trouble coming up with an excuse that wouldn't be rude or involve involuntary blind teleportations. "Spike, if you could read me the letter now, please?"

"Sheesh, alright, I will." He unraveled the parchment and yawned before starting to read. "Dear Twilight Sparkle. That's you. Ok, sorry, no joking, I get it. Dear Twilight Sparkle. I am very pleas- hey, give a guy a chance."

Twilight was too much in the grip of a self-made panic to listen to Spike. She held the letter in front of her and went through it as fast as possible.

§ § § § § § § § §

 _Dear Twilight Sparkle,_

 _I am very pleased to finally receive this particular letter from you. I have always been firm in my trust of your character that you would not forsake one of the longest lasting companions you have had in your life for any time longer than what you needed as a mature mare to fully accept his, truly somewhat large, differences from what is thought of as the norm._

 _That being said, I wish this response would have come sooner. Raegdan had not been what I would term alright since your confrontation. But you know him as well as I do, my student, and he would accept no attempt to reconcile the two of you that did not come straight from your own heart. He claimed it was "a minor thing. Give her a week or two and everything will be fine," to quote him._

 _Twilight, I want you to know there is no blame to be given here to anyone apart from his own bone-headed refusal to be the one restoring your friendship. His set his expectations too high on you when you did not have the life experience to deal with this._ _When the weeks turned to months he tried to_

 _I am afraid I have to be blunt about this Twilight and I will once again repeat that no fault for any of this lies on anyone else but him and me for going along with this._

 _In the end, the only thing that stopped him from gravely harming himself was his fear you would blame yourself._

 _Twilight, I know this surely upsets you but I assure you it doesn't have to. Yes, he had become very depressed and suicidal at times. But I am heartened to inform you that he is much better now. Raegdan has found a new friend and purpose. One that came into his life by your own direct actions. So worry not, Twilight. Even unknowingly you helped him in his time of need. He misses you terribly, I can tell, but has found new resolve to wait for you._

 _It is a resolve that I am glad is no longer needed. Your fears are unfounded, Twilight. Raegdan never held the slightest disgruntlement against you. He wants nothing more that to have you and Spike back. He never stopped loving his little ones._

 _Here is my recommendation that you asked for, my favorite student. Invite your friends to come with you both and stay in the castle for a few days. Raegdan will want to meet those special ponies in your life and I would like to know them more closely._

 _In fact, the Royal Guard is having a Tournament for a new position in my Solar Guard and it would be lovely for all of us to be together at it like old times. Spectating the Tournament like we used to do will surely help wipe out any misgivings and repressed thoughts and allow us all to remember and choose the good times we shared over the discontent of today._

 _Waiting to see you next at home,_

 _Princess Celestia_

§ § § § § § § § §

"Twilight? Oh, my Celestia, Twilight are you ok?" Twilight blinked though her tears. She tried to focus on the upset Rarity that was talking to her but it was hard to make her eyes move away from those words she kept reading.

She let the letter drop, no longer able to focus her magic enough to hold onto it. Through her hazy vision she saw Applejack come to her side and put her hoof around her shoulders. "Why 're ya crying sugarcube? Is... something wrong back home? Did something happen to your folk?".

Twilight tried to speak but she was choked by more sobs and cries coming up her throat. She shook her head, unable to speak, until she finally couldn't hold on the slightest semblance of control and threw herself against Applejack, her crying drowned against her coat.

Applejack held onto her, whispering soothing nothings at her ear, trying to calm her down. She felt another hoof rest on her back and, hesitantly at first, start stroking her. She couldn't see her, her eyes buried in Applejack's shoulder as they were, but she felt certain that was Rainbow Dash.

Terrible thoughts were parading across her mind's eye; scenes where the Princess walked into a room -too late to make a difference- to find bloody marks scattered around the floor or a pair of balcony doors spread wide open with no occupant in sight... she pictured a body dangling from a rope, its eyes cloudy and devoid of warmth staring right back at her.

She wailed and gripped Applejack with all the strength her forelegs had, desperately trying to hold her as a shield against these nightmarish images. " _Months_ ", wrote the Princess. She would have still been in Canterlot by the time he tried to, to do something to himself. _She was right there and she didn't know and she caused it_.

Apart from her bawling and whimpering nopony else in the library dared move or talk for a while. It was what she needed, she felt. If anypony tried to push her back into coherence of thought she would break down all over again. She left herself slowly quiet down, relieving the sudden ache that had bloated in her heart with her body crashing moans.

At some point she had obviously shimmered down enough -though nowhere near calm- for Rarity to attempt to talk to the other member of the library household.

"Spike, do you have any idea what happened?"

"No, but let me read that. If something happened to Raegdan..."

"Who?" Rarity did not seem to get her answer.

A few minutes passed in which Twilight had mostly exhausted her heavier sobbing. She shifted her face from Applejack's reassuring embrace and saw sweet little Spike standing next to her along with Rarity. "Twilight, it's ok. The Princess says he is fine and he wants to see us. It's ok, Twilight, please don't cry." Her adored assistant's eyes were humid, ready to start flowing like hers were.

Twilight let go of her friends and turned to face the scaled dragon she called her assistant and in truth was much more. "Oh Spike. It's not ok. If Princess Celestia says it's that bad you know it must have been much worse in reality. I hurt him, Spike. Raegdan could be dead and it would be my fault.", her voice cracked.

Spike stomped his foot on the wooden floor. "No, it wouldn't be your fault. Princess Celestia wrote so and she always knows what she is talking about. And it doesn't matter now. We are going back and we will see them both." His face was more resolute than it had ever been.

Rainbow standing at their side questioningly raised her hoof. "Uhh, sorry to interrupt, but what IS going on?"

Twilight made a few false attempts at explaining the situation before Spike spoke. "Just read the letter. You guys will get it easier then."

There was silence for a few minutes as the two mares stood next to Rarity who was already devouring the letter's contents as soon as permission was given. Applejack was the last to move away from her, giving her a small pat and a assuring smile. When all three were done it was Rainbow who spoke up again.

"Ok, it... it sounded pretty bad for a minute there but the Princess says this guy is cool again. Although," she hesitated a bit, plainly afraid she would set off her friend again "who is this Raegdan, Twilight?".

Twilight stared at the floor trying dredge up a short answer that would explain everything about what Raegdan was adequately. Spike unhesitatingly brought it down to the simplest terms possible.

"He is our dad."

"Spike, he is not our dad. We got no actual relation to him and it is disrespectful to call him that," Twilight told him crossly, her voice still hoarse.

"Really?" Spike challenged her. "Because I remember a certain lavender unicorn that called him that a lot of times."

"I was just a little filly then."

"Until two years ago? You really grew up fast then."

Twilight could actually feel the blood rushing up her face and making camp for an extended stay as she glanced towards their audience. "In fact, "Spike tapped his claw against his chin "I distinctly remember you calling the Princess 'mom'."

And there was the straw that would break her own back. "Spike," she hissed, "I swear, that is enough. If you do not stop right now..."

But the baby dragon had embarked on a journey fueled by the steam of feelings and thoughts that had been repressed for too long and wouldn't stop with a mere threat when under the protection of a watching crowd. "And how is that even disrespectful to either of them? They ate it up every single time either of us called them mom and dad. Well, they did 'till you got the whole _'decorum'_ nonsense into your head..."

"Spike, I said, enough."

"...and then you and dad," dragons were supposed to breath fire, not caustic vitriol as Spike was currently doing, "had a fight and never told anyone what the hay it was about, we never saw him again..."

"Stop!" she shouted to no avail.

"...and would you look at that? After all the stuff he has gone through for us and all we put him through, after just dropping him for no good reason..."

" **I had a reason!** " She roared. She had a flash of red dripping in her mind and felt more tears stinging her eyes. What had gotten into Spike? He was supposed to be helping her, not accusing her, not _blaming_ her.

"If it was a good reason then you would have told us!" He shouted back. "You want to make it up to him Twilight? How are you going to do that? Just go up to him and say _"I'm sorry mr. Raegdan"_? Is this what you were thinking to do? Cause if you did, you might just as well use your horn to stab him right in his chest!"

Spike was taking deep breaths after his furious rant, tears making their way down his eyes. Twilight just stood still, waiting, looking at him, her own face covered with tears that were flowing free again.

"Are you done?" She asked almost whispering.

"Yes. I am done."

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. This, this was her problem. Spike was right. She wanted to apologize to Raegdan but had she truly gotten over her issues or was this just a token effort to show herself she had learned something when she had only memorized the words behind the lesson and not the meaning?

She rushed forwards to embrace Spike in a hug. "I'm sorry. You are right. He has done his best to be like a dad to us. And it is right to show him our appreciation for everything by calling him dad. On occasion."

"It's not fair." He mumbled from his position against her chest. "I miss him and he won't answer any of my letters."

She never realized Spike was trying to keep in contact. Hay, she never even thought about it. One more blame to lay against her. She had forbidden Raegdan from making contact with either of them without considering Spike's feelings or wants in the matter. Spike, who unlike her, only had one single person in the world that would gladly accept the word "dad" from him. "I'm sorry Spike. I... I should have handled things better."

"It's not your fault." He sniffed, "The Princess is right. He could have answered me back anytime. He is just... sulking or something. I don't know."

She didn't concede to this. Spike didn't deserve to be abandoned because of her. "We'll fix everything Spike. You'll see."

"Everything?" He tightened his hold against her, little claws stinging her skin, desperate for any reassurance.

"Yes."

They stayed like this for a while. The lavender unicorn and the glossy scaled, purple dragon holding onto each other, giving and taking strength and hope from each other's close presence. Twilight indulged in the close contact, feeling Spike's waves of heat that seemed to follow his heartbeat. It was the calmness she needed right then.

Figures that the little drake would ruin the moment for her.

"What about Princess Celestia?"

She pushed him off. "Spike, I am not going to start calling the Princess 'mom'. It isn't right."

"Well, right or wrong she always liked it." He took a sit on a stool, wiping his eyes to dry them. "Just something to think about."

She huffed but smiled nonetheless. Maybe it was something to think about. Later. Much, much later. Right now she had other things on her mind so she turned around and...

Oh.

Right. Her friends were standing just over there.

"Soooo," Applejack drawled, "any chance we get a proper version of all that?"

* * *

They had moved into her kitchen, sitting around the table, everyone close to each other. Spike was on her left and Applejack occupied the seat on her right, her foreleg on Twilight's shoulder. She almost felt the earth pony's strength and resolve flowing inside her from this simple gesture. At the kitchen counter, Rarity was fussing with the tea supplies, choosing and blending tea varieties while waiting for the water to boil.

She had little time before she would have to talk. Her friends were worried after witnessing her breakdown and she couldn't leave them in the dark about this. At the same time she didn't want to voice certain things.

 _Take it from the start Twilight_ , a voice spoke in her mind, _and you might be able to avoid saying things you don't want to_.

This could work. If she played her cards right she might not have to share the reason that created the rift between her and Raegdan. In retrospect it wasn't one of her brightest moments. She had been driven by suspicions, conjecture and her own lack of knowledge. The girls might even not attempt to ask if they realized how sensitive that topic was for her, which she was certain they would.

Rarity brought the tea cups in front of them and took her own seat opposite of Twilight, next to Rainbow Dash. Twilight looked at everypony's face with a small smile that felt so very hard to keep from trembling. They were expecting a soft tale, she knew, a story of meeting each other, some life moments and an ending. She would deliver as much as she could to her friends but it wasn't going to be soft. And if she could manage it, there would be no ending told.

Time to start the show.

A deep breath for courage and off she went. "When I became the Princess' personal student I went to live in the Castle. Spike had just been hatched so he was already there, being taken care of. The Princess' schedule was not without its interruptions and she preferred to keep us close so she could spend as much time as she could spare teaching me." Everypony was nodding at this. They knew all this. Frankly, that was _all_ they knew.

"I had been at the Castle for a couple of months and even I, as a little filly at that age, heard the rumors that were then floating around about a monster that the Princess was keeping imprisoned in the Castle."

"A monster?" Rarity questioned at the non sequitur.

"Nopony really knew what it was or how it looked exactly. Best description I could get was that it was taller than Celestia herself, extremely violent and that it was kept in the infirmary ward. I had thought about trying to sneak a look myself but I didn't want to jeopardize my education."

"Of course you wouldn't." Rainbow affirmed in the most non sarcastic way possible, may Celestia guide her tender muzzle into a sturdy wall.

"In the end it was just bunch of rumors and nothing to really focus on with all the new things I was learning. But of course, something had to happen to change that." Twilight kept her head down, staring down the rising steam from the tea. Was it cool enough yet? She didn't really feel like finding out, she would wait a few moments more.

"The monster was real and attacked you and you got to watch Princess Celestia clean its clock with massive magic rays she summoned out of her..."

She interrupted Rainbow Dash before she could get more into her battle fantasy. "No. Nothing like that. I was foalnapped." The tone of her voice was flat, as if she was simply commenting on a cloud's ability to store water in the sky.

Applejack and Rarity voiced their shock.

"Twily, that must have been horrible," Applejack said, her hoof once again was rubbing her shoulder. Twilight flicked her gaze towards her to see her looking terrified. It only took a moment to understand why. Applejack has been raising Applebloom more like her own foal than her sister. The thought of a filly being taken away just like that was a little too close to some of her own fears, she realized.

"How did someone manage to do that inside the Castle? Where were the guards?" Rarity was abashed.

Twilight shrugged and turned back to her steam gazing. "No idea. We never figured out how they managed to get in. I was asleep when they got me so I never even saw them coming. What we did figure out was that their plan went haywire when Celestia decided to come to my room unexpectedly and she raised the alarm immediately. We don't know what their original plan was but they must have changed it when they decided to try and sneak through the infirmary ward disguised as nurses escorting a sick foal."

"And nopony figured them out?" Rainbow's reaction at the incompetence of the guard to protect the Princess personal filly student was ludicrous.

"None. But the rumored monster was really there, right at the infirmary, and he saw them. And when he realized what happened he went after me."

Rainbow caught her meaning and guffawed. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. You are telling us that the monster was that Raegdan guy?"

"That was him, yes."

"I thought we were talking about a regular pony!"

Spike fielded the answer to that. "We never said he was. Raegdan is not a pony. We don't know where he is from but there's nothing in Equestria like him."

"What is he then?"

"If you ever meet him feel free to ask him. Maybe he will answer to you," Twilight grumbled.

It was obvious that Applejack saw things wrong with the whole thing. "But why was he locked up? Better question, if he is that swell guy who cared for y'all why didn't he tell the guards or Celestia?"

"He didn't tell anyone cause he couldn't."

"Huh?"

Twilight explained further. "He couldn't speak our language yet. He had learned enough at that point to understand a lot of things ponies told him but he had trouble making himself understood so when he realized what was happening, instead of letting them get too far, he escaped himself and gave chase to the foalnappers."

"But why was a good guy like him kept locked up?" Rainbow asked.

"Remember that I said we never figured out how they got inside? Even while they didn't manage to escape?"

Rainbow nodded.

"And remember" Twilight pressed on, "how the rumors said the monster was very violent?"

Understanding dawned in all three mare's eyes. Rarity's white coat got a slight green tinge. "You mean that when he caught up to you he...?"

"Apparently," Twilight intoned, "Raegdan has some very stern views on the issues of trying to harm foals."

* * *

Twilight was scared. She was more scared than she had ever been on any stormy night when shadows formed into teeth and reached for her at her bed. Even more scared than she had been on the day she got her Cutie Mark, when her magic went all... too much magic.

She was shivering. She wasn't sure if that was because of her fear or the cold. A thin brown blanket covered her but it didn't offer much protection against the numbness slowly creeping up on her from the stone floor she was lying on.

Her eyes were closed shut. She didn't dare open them again and let them know she was awake. She could hear them around her. The soft swooping sounds from the pegasus mare's wings as she beat them up to warm herself and freezing Twilight even more in the process.

There were two more, both unicorn stallions. She had gotten a glimpse of everypony when she first opened her eyes, before the fear settled in. They were patrolling or just walking back and forth to pass the time, she wasn't sure. She heard them walk into the room they kept her in along with the pegasus guarding her.

It was a small room. In the weak light of a single lantern she saw only one entrance, no door of course, this building had either been abandoned or was left unfinished. No windows either. She had no way to know how long it had been since she lied on her soft bed back at the Castle, for once going to sleep with no attempt to keep herself awake reading. Nothing covered her prison's walls and the floor only held some trash and her miserable self, cowering in a blanket she was too frightened to attempt and coax around her more securely.

The two stallions had stopped outside the doorway, talking softly to each other and the mare. She heard the clip-clop of hooves getting close to her. It was the brown one, she knew. The other unicorn was large and menacing with his pitch black coat and mane but it was this one with his common look and skipping rope Cutie Mark that terrified her. Every time they walked in she could hear him coming to stand over her, his breathing becoming heavy and wheezing. He tried to take off her blanket before but the black one stopped him.

She wondered if they guarded her in shifts. Her heart almost stopped at the thought of the brown unicorn taking the mare's place.

Why did they take her? She didn't think they had done it for the money. Her family was doing well as far as she understood but nowhere near enough for a foalnapper to expect a rich ransom. Princess Celestia on the other hoof, could pay one. But they would have to be insane to do that. Blackmail the Sun Princess? How could they expect to hide from her once they made their demands?

She heard a tiny pebble crumble under her watcher's hoof. It took everything from Twilight to stop her ears rotating towards the sound or flattening back. He was leaning closer to her. Maybe they really were insane. Maybe they just took her because they could and there was no plan for any ransom. They might just kill her and be done with her.

The black unicorn and the pegasus mare weren't paying attention to their partner. They were too busy yelling at each other in that strange silenced way ponies took when they wanted to shout but not be heard at the same time. She couldn't hear them clearly from her position, they had moved too far along the next room and her attention kept diverting to the encroaching breathing.

She could understand a few words. Mostly bad words and swears she wasn't supposed to hear. The Princess' name, some others she couldn't make out, mention of some way of using her later, or just...

...did she hear him say "kill her"?

Twilight was ready to get up and start running and screaming, hoping somepony would get to her fast enough to save her. Before she could even start bringing her legs below her to lift herself up she heard the loud noise as did her captors.

Something hitting and wood breaking apart.

She opened her eyes, hope and fear blossoming together in her chest too suddenly for her to control her actions. She saw the brown terror ran towards his fellow unicorn that was taking command.

"You stay in there, guard the filly," he ordered the mare. "We will take care of whoever it is."

She saw them walk out of her sight. The burnt orange colored pegasus watched them go too when she suddenly turned around and saw Twilight staring at her with eyes open wide.

"When did you wake up already?" she said frowning. "Their freaking spell was supposed to keep you sleeping till delivery."

She walked over to Twilight and stood over her menacingly, wings spread wide. "You better keep your mouth shut and not make any trouble you little cunt or I will have to knock you ou-"

The mare stopped herself mid-word when she heard the commotion from the rooms behind her.

"The hay is that thing? Do something, hit it, don't let it come near me!" The brown one, Twilight recognized his wheezing voice.

There were flashes of colors and then she heard the other one. "It's not fucking stopping, my spells don't do squat. Don't just stare at it you idiot, move out of the way!"

What followed was a cacophony of bodies hitting each other and the floor. The pegasus was slowly making her way towards the room's exit, hesitating with each fresh sound of impact and pained grunt. A loud, roar full of agony suddenly pierced through, causing the mare to stumble back to Twilight's side against the wall.

"Ha, you didn't like that, did you, you mutant cow freak. You can ignore my spells but it's harder to do that to a hoof digging in your stitches, isn- OOF!"

"Granite, get the fuck out of there, it got hold of a splinter!"

"Current, get it off," the black stallion sounded desperate, "I can't hold it, I can't hold-", there was a resounding dry snap like a thick branch breaking. "MY LEG, IT BROKE MY-grrrghhh..." his cries faded out in a gurgle.

Twilight felt sick. This didn't sound like a rescue, this was like those monster stories her brother told her once to scare her. She looked around again, hoping a doorway or a window might have miraculously appeared for her to get away. No such luck, all she had available was the exit that lead towards the fight, her blanket and the petrified, wide stared mare next to her.

More sounds. Hooves, she realized. The survivor was running towards them. "Amber, Amber, come here and help me, it killed Granite, it just stabbed him right up his throat. Amber!"

The pegasus next to Twilight wasn't answering. Her head kept shaking left and right violently, lips moving in a chant. "It was in and out, this wasn't supposed to happen, it was in and out, this wasn't supposed to happen..."

The brown unicorn came into view as he sprinted towards their room. And an instant later she got a weak glimpse of what was chasing him as it leapt at him and drove him against the corner, right next to the empty open entrance and out of their view.

She didn't manage to see much in the little light that reached it. It was mostly a blur, covered in white and red, with a shape she had never seen before. But the way it charged the fleeing pony was what shook her. It was how she always expected the Nightmare in her room's closet to jump at her.

The sounds of fighting reignited, now coming from much closer, only a few feet from her, separated by a thin wall. She heard dry thumps and wet slapping sounds repeating themselves over and over. Until another pained roar erupted from the unknown assailant. She heard the unicorn's voice, muffled a bit but ecstatic. "How about that you sick fucker then? Unicorn horn in your chest doing it for you?" A wet thump was followed by a surrendering pained moan. "You enjoy that? I do! Is my horn big enough you psychotic monster? Oh, hey, let go, LET GO OF MY HEAD!"

He clearly thrashed around, trying to get away from his opponent's hold. Until, that is, they heard it speak, its words crudely uttered and filled with malice.

" _Have Larger Horn Past_."

The stallion started screaming for help again. "Amber, for Celestia's sake come out and help me. It's gonna eat me, Amber, help me, help me, help me, help..."

He screamed again, long and hard, letting go suddenly when a tearing sound filled the building.

Twilight couldn't bear to think what that sound meant even if she had the capacity to at the moment. All her thoughts revolved around the fact that this monster could speak. That it could understand. That it could think.

That she couldn't hide from it under her blanket.

She didn't speak or move. She just kept staring at the doorway waiting for it to come in at any moment now.

One minute passed.

The pegasus named Amber next to her shook off her pinning fear. She took a step forward and spread her wings silently. She spared a look at Twilight, still huddling under her blanket and whispered to her. "Sorry, kid, you are gonna be monster chow on your own. I'm getting out of here."

She tried to tell her to wait. To beg not to leave her alone. Instead she watched wide-eyed as Amber took flight and zoomed through the door in an angle with as much speed as she could summon in this short distance. If she had blinked, Twilight was certain she would not have noticed the strange claw thing grabbing Amber's wing from the side of the doorway and violently dragging her towards it, accompanied by the loud pop of a dislocated limb and a terrified yell.

She didn't hear Amber beg or scream for long. The beast hiding from her view gave her no time to do that. All Twilight heard was the rhythmic knocking of something hard striking the hard floor again and again and again.

Thump. Thump. Thump. . Thump

Thump.

She would have expected silence to reign again. That's how it went in the stories usually. But she could clearly hear the monster. Its breathing, deep and gasping, every attempt to inhale bringing it obvious pain. She heard it clambering up on its legs. She saw the bloody claws at the door frame's side as it held for support. And then she saw it.

It was tall. Taller than any pony excepting the Princess and even she might be shorter that it. It was forced to stoop to cross the door. Some short of open white robe was tattered on it, stained with dirt and blood, one of the creature's arms had bundled up a bit of it and held it tight against its chest. Below the thick robe it was covered with bandages. Or what remained of them. They had been torn in places, moved aside on others. Almost all of them glistening pink and red. Its torso especially was oozing with blood. How much of it was its own? A lot, she bet. The way it stood it looked ready to keel over any moment.

All of that blood was hiding its features like camouflage. She thought its skin might be light pink or brown, covered with darker pock marks and long jagged lines. It kinda reminded her of a minotaur she saw in the street once. Its arms were similar, though not so thick, and its legs longer, ending not in cloven hooves but something similar to its hands with shorter fingers. It didn't have a coat. Only a short mane at the top of it, now colored dirty bronze. Its face was peculiarly flat. She expected a long, open jaw filled with teeth, not those almost normal looking lips that were surrounded by fresh, deep red blood. Its eyes were so small. Maybe it didn't use its sight that much. If she stayed still and quiet it might pass her by. She just had to stay brave just a little more and keep her terror bottled down.

It looked straight at her and opened its mouth in a wide grin, revealing bloody teeth with small strands of flesh splattered on them. It could see her! She tried to burrow deeper in the corner between the walls as it stumbled towards her. The stale, dusty air was filled with a sharp, rancid smell. For a moment she felt a taste in her mouth, similar to when she licked her spoon clean after dessert.

As it came closer to the lantern she noticed the grin was gone. It looked strangely at her, almost sad. It knelt and reached for her and instead of grabbing her as she expected it to do, it just got hold of the discarded blanket in front of her and covered her trembling body with it, carefully tucking it under her for a tighter fit, using its one free hand.

It wasn't going to hurt her! It wasn't going to hurt her! The relief of that repeating thought finally let the tears she held back spill. Her unexpected savior had moved to her side, its back leaning on the cold wall. Its hand began to rhythmically pet her back, over the blanket.

In the gloomy half-light, listening to alien mutterings in an unknown language and laborious breathing, eight year old Twilight Sparkle fell asleep, comforted by a dying killer.

* * *

"When Celestia arrived at the basement where they tried to hole up she found him half-dead and blood-soaked, sitting next to me, still sleeping, wrapped in a blanket. He hoofed me over and followed her peacefully back to the Castle to be re-imprisoned."

"Re-imprisoned? He saved you and the Princess threw him into a dungeon?" Rainbow was shocked at this conclusion.

"Not for long. Turns out that whole business somewhat reversed the opinion she had about the strange monster they kept imprisoned and decided to give him a chance. The Princess told me the story of how he saved me and asked me if I was willing to help him learn to talk on my spare time while he would act as my very own personal guard."

Twilight felt tired. There was so much she glossed over and fibbed a few parts. Like the Princess' urging to report any threats he may make against anypony or her own fear of Raegdan at the beginning. She pressed on quickly.

"Raegdan didn't just stay on the role of a guard though. He was alone in a country he knew nothing about and even he craved to have somepony close to him. So, he soon formed an unofficial small family unit for himself with me, Spike and the Princess as its core members."

Applejack smiled widely at this, evidently eager to move on from the bloody tale she had heard. "That's so sweet of that big 'lug. He adopted all of you? He must be a real sweetheart."

Spike laughed at the description. "Don't get it wrong Applejack. He was amazing to a few of us but almost everypony else? Sweetheart was the last thing you could describe him as."

"What you mean by that little fella?"

Twilight answered her. "He has a lot of differences from ponies. There's a reason everypony thought he was a monster. Don't give me that look Spike, you remember what he did to that noble."

"I have got to hear that." Rainbow's own violent side shined through.

"There was a noblepony's aide, Plum Seat I think he was called, who was in a rush for some reason or other and instead of simply sidestepping around us on the hallways he opted to use his magic to push us to the side, hard enough to knock us to the wall. "

Spike chuckled. "Unlucky for him, he didn't notice Raegdan was right behind him coming to get us."

"Oooh." Rainbow said in anticipation of what was coming.

"The second after we hit the wall we hear a loud crack and see the unconscious pony slide down the wall opposite the one we were thrown against. Raegdan had gotten hold of him instantly and did the same thing to him that he did to us. Only he did much harder."

Rainbow and Applejack laughed. Rarity tried to hide her own smile behind her hoof.

"He was very violent if he saw the slightest need to. That noble? He slammed him so hard against the wall that he broke two of his legs, dislocated the bone and ripped the muscle from the one leg he swung him from, broke his ribs and gave him a serious concussion. He got distracted picking us up and rushing us to the infirmary immediately afterwards, otherwise I am sure he would have done more. Plum Seat was kept in the Emergency Room for days and barely made it alive as it was."

The laughter stopped.

She exhaled an annoyed breath. She was afraid she was giving too much focus on only half of who Raegdan was but this was something she had to make them realize if they were to ever meet him.

"He is not a pony, but that's a only a part of it. Except Celestia herself, he never told anyone a lot about his kind or himself or how he came to Equestria. I don't think Raegdan is even his real name. And he is the first to agree that he is not... healthy. He has issues, a lot of them, and trouble controlling himself. But if he considers you friend or family? He will do anything for you."

Rarity was hesitant. "I don't wish to demean what he has done for you, Twilight. But he sounds very... unkind I believe is the most gentle word I could use."

"No. NO! You don't get it, that's how he is to others." Spike defended their father figure.

Twilight rubbed her head with a hoof. "This came out wrong. Is he violent? Yes. Is he unkind or cruel? Yes. Is he all those things to those he cares about and care about him?"

"No!" she emphasized with a strike of her hoof on the floor.

"You heard Spike say he was like a dad to us. He didn't just guard us and hurt ponies that treated us wrong. He stayed with us on every lesson. He helped me study and helped Spike learn to control his flame."

"It's true. I accidentally burned him like a hundred times and each time he would just put some salve on himself and tell me to keep going."

"Exactly! He would never, ever, so much as yell at us. No matter what. He was this big monster every mare and stallion at the Castle was afraid to cross and if I wanted to have a pretend tea party he played with me for hours, doing all the silly voices." Twilight's volume increased in excitement, this was the Raegdan she wanted her friends to know.

"He sat at the table with us and whenever the Princess wasn't paying attention he would sneak his dessert to us. He made sure we brushed our teeth before bed. He took me to visit my parents every time Celestia had a big chunk of her timetable occupied. He woke us up every morning with a smile. When we had bad dreams he stayed awake in our room next to our beds like a guard _"to keep the nightmares away"_ as he claimed. "

"Let's be honest, " Spike interrupted with a smile, "he did that mostly with me. He would take you to Celestia's bed to spend the night instead cause he knew you liked that."

"Spike." She yelled, the treasonous blush reworking its way up her face. Spike himself just giggled at her stern admonition.

Her friends exchanged looks. In silent communication, it was Rarity who was chosen to speak up. "He sounds like a loving step-father, Twilight. But, with your description, you make it sound like beating ponies to death was a usual occurrence to him." Rarity's eyes locked with Twilights. "How did Princess Celestia allow something like that?"

Twilight's enthusiasm wavered. "He didn't - that didn't happen as often as it sounds. There was a serious episode every few months like the one I told you about at worst. But he was more patient for some time after and everypony was reminded by each occasion to be more cautious around him."

"Even so, darling. Why did the Princess allow him such leeway?" Rarity insisted.

"She didn't let him go unpunished. She didn't want to banish him or hurt him in kind, pain wouldn't really deter him from anything after all. She would lock him up in the dungeons in isolation for some time after a confrontation turned too violent." Spike nodded sadly along, probably reminded of the weeks he was deprived of his company. "And I think the Princess might have made a deal with him."

Applejack's head sprung back. "What kind of deal did the Princess need with somepony like him? She has a whole army if she needs someone beaten bloody."

"He _knows_ things!" Twilight revealed, a flicker of her own thirst for the secrets locked in that stubborn skull coloring her voice. "His kind doesn't have magic as far as we know but they have technology and knowledge beyond our wildest dreams. He was no scholar or scientist but even so, just the basics of what he has..."

"What do we need that for? Magic is better, isn't it?" Rainbow Dash challenged.

"How about blood transfusions?" Twilight retorted. "We had no idea about treating heavy blood loss or blood types a decade back. Who do you think told Celestia about that? Or microscopes? Vaccines and antibiotics? Do you have any idea how many pony lives he has potentially saved just by merely letting us know about possibilities?"

Rainbow Dash cast down her eyes with a chastised sound. Twilight thought that she had better be thinking of her own visits at the hospital. A daredevil like Rainbow had enough cause to check herself in for minor injuries and it was too likely someday she might have her life saved by Raegdan's off-comment about him needing to store some of his own blood, "since we don't share _Species Kind Type_ , never mind blood types with any of you."

Applejack and Rainbow sat in awkward silence, not daring to say something potentially badmouthing for a certain person. Rarity had the letter in front of her, reading it once again. She gently folded it again and put it in front of Twilight when she finished. "There is obviously more than meets the eye as far as your step-father goes, darlings," she addressed Twilight and Spike, "and it would be unrefined to form an opinion without meeting the stal- excuse me, _person_ in the flesh. Thankfully, our wise Princess has seen fit to provide a way out of this predicament."

Twilight blinked the memories out of her eyes. "Of course, the invitation! I hope you can all come with us." She was an idiot. She didn't have to think about IF the girls met Raegdan. They would definitely meet each other and soon.

Rainbow caught the lifeline she was thrown faster than her Sonic Rainboom. "Are you kidding us? A chance to stay at the castle, meet this guy AND be one of the few to ever spectate the Royal Guard Tournament? Count me in!" Rainbow punched the air with her hoof. "I've heard the Royal Guards use all kind of real weapons there, no pansy padded mallets or blunt blades. Uhh, we are invited to that too, right?"

Twilight felt her mirth coming back with her friend's excitement. "They do. I bet you will love the show." She had forgotten entirely about that part in the letter, having things closer to heart to think of. Though certainly not her cup of tea -she looked down at the cold untouched cup in front of her- it had always been an entertainment, Raegdan's comments and jokes with Celestia, spike and herself, cracking them up to all but the most serious of wounds the guards suffered at each other's hoofs.

She left Rainbow Dash to her visions of clashing hoofs and metal. "Rarity? Applejack? Will you be able to come with us?"

"Darling, do you even have to ask? Of course we will. And I am certain Pinkie and Fluttershy will say yes as soon as we ask them. We are not missing this for the world."

"Yessir." Applejack nodded with a wide smile. "Though I'm more intrigued to meet the terror y'all would call dad than I am about a glorified rodeo. He sounds like a real character."

Rainbow Dash sputtered. "Glorified rodeo? That's what you think the Royal Guard Tournament is?" she said indignantly.

"Ah'beg your pardon?"

"This is how they take on new members in Celestia's Solar Guard!" she said excitedly. "They separate the best of the best, the wannabes from the already-it, the cream of the crop all together meeting in glorious matches, bashing each other by the dozens for a single spot." Rainbow hovered above Applejack, wildly kicking and punching at imaginary foes.

"Sounds mighty important." Applejack deadpanned.

Rainbow frowned. "Those guys can buck one of your apple trees so hard that everypony that bites one of them apples will feel their ribs hurting for a week."

Applejack shrugged. "I'll just buck whoever I need to straight up instead of messing with somepony's diet, thank'ya kindly," she said to Rainbow's exasperation.

Rainbow gave up on the stubborn earth pony and turned to Twilight.

"When are we going then?", asked Rainbow.

Twilight bit her lower lip. "I know this is really short notice but I really want to leave as soon as possible..."

Rarity reached across the table and silenced her putting her hoof over her mouth. "Twilight, we understand and do not mind. We will settle things with Fluttershy and Pinkie ourselves and we will all be on our way with the train tomorrow morning, bright and early. What do you girls say?"

"Not tha' much in the way of chores at the farm for me. Harvest's all done and everypony's ribs are safe. Big Mac and Applebloom can handle a few days without me." The orange earth pony declared tilting her hat back.

"Yeah, yeah, we are all in. Before we start packing our stuff can we go for that lunch first?" Rainbow held her hooves over her belly. "I'm starving. Tea doesn't really help with a pegasus' hunger, you know?"

Twilight giggled. "Thank you all. Let's go eat then. Spike can you please let-"

Spike saluted "Pinkie and Fluttershy will be notified to meet you up at 'Trot Cafe' asap commander Twilight."

Twilight moved to the main room and opened the library doors. "Ok girls. Let's head out then." Rainbow Dash zoomed out the door, fast on her way there.

Twilight's day had its share of emotional ups and downs so far. But as she closed the Golden Oak Library doors behind her and put up the 'out for lunch' sign one feeling was making its presence known more than the rest. Relief.

It all seemed so bleak and dark for a few minutes. But with her friends around her, supporting her every bit of the way, what could possibly go wrong?

"I told you that Twilight Sparkle is gonna fix this!" she thought to herself with a smile.


	3. Ch03 - Be still my heart

There are many ponies who claim that the citizens of Canterlot are obnoxious bastards. Always looking down on every other city, town and village around Equestria. They are the sort that walk on the clean, most prestigious and classy streets of Manehattan wearing the same expression on their face that they would if they were standing on a landfill instead. They are offensive, loud-mouthed, irritable and nasty. Not all of them of course, but enough to paint the condescending stereotype over all ponies who make their home in the Capital.

But when the critics of these ponies make the trip to Canterlot and walk its perfectly paved streets they stop to admire the arching architecture. They feast at the expensive but absolutely outstanding restaurants and cafes that serve the best that all of Equestria has to offer, weep and laugh at the multitude of extraordinary plays and art exhibitions, revel in the impeccable weather that surrounds the mighty city and gaze outwards into the majestic green view of the whole country that is offered by their standing place, high atop mount Canterlot. And at the end of the day, well, there is only one conclusion those ponies can reach.

Those obnoxious bastards might be on to something here.

You could spend your whole life living here with an unlimited budget and a completely responsibility-free schedule, something which many residents with zero self-insight would deny having, and never taste as much as half the rich bounty Canterlot has to offer in its golden lunch trolley. There is a paradise and it costs a thousand bits per day. Minus residential expenses.

Let's just ignore those little things. There's no need to distress ourselves so soon.

Undoubtedly, even in this mecca of style, class, finesse and lots of not-so-hidden secret pleasure dens, there is one temple that is the absolute pinnacle of perfection. To visit it is to know awe and astonishment. It is the deep-ingrained belief that will settle in your bones that you stood on the threshold of heaven. It is the realization that everything that's claimed about Canterlot would be a load of musky horseapples that overstayed their welcome in the sun, without this particular ode to the caretakers of the heavens.

"Girls, welcome to Canterlot Castle."

"Uh, thanks Twilight, but we kinda have been here before, you know?" Rainbow Dash countered Twilight's warm welcome to her former abode with the level of grace usually only possessed by rocks. Big, hard ones.

"I, I know, I just meant..." Twilight stammered.

"Like, more times than one."

Rarity decided to take mercy on both of her friends and nip this at the bud. "Rainbow dear, Twilight was just trying to be courteous." Truly, for a mare so dedicated to distancing herself from any semblance of literacy, among other things, Rainbow would grip occasionaly herself on technicalities in casual conversation with a pathos usually reserved for the most fastidious grammar professors.

She accepted Twilight's thankful grin with a smiling nod and endured Rainbow's groan with silence.

They were moving down the main entrance hall. Large, lavish staircases, barred by rigid Royal Guards, led to the upper floors. High above them, Rarity noticed, that the design depicting Princess Celestia's Cutie Mark, bordered by the dawn and sunset, had been replaced with a fresh mural of a stylized Celestia and Luna rotating each other, both of them bathed by the light of their respective charge. Light, both natural and that of the extravagant chandeliers, was blocked by a rim around the mural so it could shine with the magic that was imbued in it. Rarity's inner designer felt a burning desire to confirm her suspicion that come moonrise the art would glow with a completely different radiance.

"Day and Night together again," she thought. Appropriate, she considered, as Princess Luna should someday soon be put back at the forefront of ruling Equestria next to her sister, that Canterlot Castle slowly changed to accommodate both their graces in equal measure. She wondered how much more would change with the Lunar Diarch's rule apart from the decor.

A question left for a lesser day! Today, they had a meeting with _the_ Princess Celestia to attend. No matter how many times she would meet her ruler, Rarity always felt a thrill. The impeccable manners, the savoir faire, the luminous presence. True Royalty was defined by her words and actions alone. Oh, she could just start giggling with anticipation like a schoolfilly.

"Remember yourself, Rarity," she warned herself. She casually straightened her shoulders, in case somepony was watching, and discreetly inspected her friends.

She was in the head of their little procession, intermittently side by side with Pinkie Pie as the pink earth pony hopped to admire her reflection on every polished surface and ask everypony they passed for their names, randomly returning at her place to share her experiences with the group, some of them involving ponies and places they clearly never met or had been. Rarity paid enough attention to nod at the proper places and keep only the last sentence said in her memory. Her usual stratagem in dealing with Pinkie when she was like this was to simply nod and smile. In fact, most of her interactions with Pinkie Pie involved nodding along and smiling -something she suspected the candy crazed mare had figured out, considering the large number of occasions she found herself agreeing too late into assisting with party decorating and alligator gum brushing.

Behind them followed Applejack and Rainbow Dash. It had been a long struggle, with many eardrums threatening to commit honorable suicide to escape the nagging and complaining that followed each other in an unending cycle, but she finally managed to get them both to at least brush their manes and tails. Applejack was pretty compliant after only a bit of grumbling, mostly to keep up appearances as Rarity believed, and after a thorough brushing, along with some underhoofed spraying of conditioner, her mane was sparkling like a golden field of mature wheat in the sun.

Then came Rainbow Dash's turn and, _by all that is left holy in this world_ , Rarity was ready to kill herself after thirty seconds, come back to life as a zombie, plunge Equestria into an Age of Darkness and drag the instrument of her torture back to Tartarus where she belonged. She knew about screeching, raised fur and clawing, she had a cat and a little sister after all, but this was supposed to be a grown pony, not an amalgamation of high-pitched screams and thrashing. Every movement of the comb was torture, both to her magic field that toiled to undo the myriad of wind-made hair knots, and her poor, desolate sanity. Rainbow claimed she was horribly hurt by "the psycho-mare" but what did she know about pain? Try making your living working with hundreds of small, pointy needles, in a shop where real "psycho-mares" rush in a daily basis spreading the tiny harbingers of pain across every seemingly innocent surface and _then_ you can talk about pain.

At the very least, all she had to do later on to stop Rainbow from tousling her mane, taking flight or appraising any open window was to pull out the hairbrush and show it to her, followed with a hiss from Rarity's clenched teeth.

Right between the two mares she had smartened up, huddled poor Twilight. Ever since they laid their hooves in Canterlot, Twilight's disposition swapped constantly between that of a young filly eager to show her friends the bedroom her parents had allowed her to paint wholly pink -current anecdote not taken by her personal life, please disregard anything Sweetie Bell says she has heard- and that of an even younger filly that was marching into the living room to let her parents know she burned down everything they ever loved -again, disregard anything you might hear.

Her precious, widdle-little Spikey was the exact opposite. He was riding on top of Twilight's back, his head spinning from one side to another only to swiftly pivot towards any sudden motion he caught in the edge of his eyes. Spike was obviously as anxious as Twilight was but where she seemed to drag her body forward, he was almost trembling in agitation, urging Twilight to walk faster. Rarity prayed with all her heart that the Princess' trust in her friends' surrogate father was not misplaced. She would not be able to bear watching Spike's heart shatter, otherwise.

Fluttershy was the last to follow in their group, as she always was. Where Applejack and Rainbow formed a barrier for Twilight to hide behind for a feeling of safety, Fluttershy resolutely followed Twilight step by step, quietly encouraging her when needed or keeping her mind occupied with various questions she made up on the spot.

Well, everypony seemed to be in as much of an order as they could manage at this point. They approached the massive, gold plated doors that led to the fabled Sun Court that were situated at the end of the hall. She counted six of the renowned Solar Guards keeping watch in front, their platinum colored armor, detailed with golden, stylized sun rays, announcing to all their hallowed position in the hierarchy. Rarity couldn't help but spot the various blades they kept at their sides. Unlike the Royal Guard, the Solars were always equipped with -and had license to use- more weapons than a single, classic spear.

As they came near enough, a Solar unicorn's horn briefly lit in the casting of a short spell. Two of the guards moved to the sides of their group, the other four retaining their position. Rarity tried to catch Twilight's eye for a hint in what they were supposed to do now but the worried mare was keeping her head down, eyes occasionally flicking to her left and right.

The seconds were ticking so Rarity decided to take the initiative. She delicately cleared her throat and with eyes calculatingly half-lidded to entice every stalion or mare in sight she addressed the unicorn stallion standing close to her. "Good morning to you, fine gentlecolts. I am Rarity, owner of Carousel Boutique and bearer of the Element of Generosity. I and my fellow bearers of the Elements of Harmony have been cordially invi-"

"Please wait in your place, Ma'am. My superior has been notified of your presence and will be here shortly."

Ma'am?

It was crystal clear that she was a Miss! Oh, that old buck decided to cross horns with the wrong unicorn. She was just about to let loose a formal statement of her indignation, right in the earhole that stallion idiotically presented to her in his stillness, when one of the great doors opened enough to let another Solar stallion out.

Rarity felt her eyes swim in stars and wished she had decided to wear one of her new ensembles after all. The unicorn that came out to meet them was large, easily the equal of Applejack's handsome brother, and solid muscle quivered under his white coat with every move. His long horn -oh, my- rose majestically out of his coppery mane. His armor was the same as that of his fellow Solars but unlike them, a bronze replica of Celestia's Mark was sculpted in front of his chest and a long, white, gold-trimmed cape covered his back, tied on his neck with golden braids. His austere, gold eyes passed over them and Rarity felt them connect with hers for a heart-shuddering moment.

"I welcome you to Canterlot Castle. I am Princess Celestia's Commander of the Solar Guard, Steadfast Ray," he said and smiled widely, his eyes beaming.

Oh, was this destiny? Was it finally happening?

"Our divine Princess let me know you would arrive today. It is good to see you again, Miss Sparkle," Steadfast said, absently knocking Rarity aside as he made his way in front of Twilight.

As Rarity was climbing up on her legs again, not aided by the unhelpful guards around her, she saw Twilight lock back into a serene look and return the Commander's smile. "It is good to see you too, Commander Steadfast. Princess Celestia invited us to your Tournament," she told him.

"Ah, yes, her Grace has mentioned this," he chuckled, "we were actually just conferring about the candidates. You wouldn't believe the amount of work that is needed in the background of such an occasion. Martial prowess is only an aspect of what is needed in the Solar Guard and we need to make sure that only those truly worth it take on the mantle of this most holy of services to the Crown." He turned around and led them through a smaller side door, down a procession of twisting corridors, slowly making their way upwards. Patrolling Royal Guards saluted the Solar Commander as he passed and maids and other personnel bowed their head before him.

Steadfast Ray coaxed Twilight to follow next to him. At the very least, him talking was keeping Twilight calm. "It is disappointing to see that your brother has once again failed to apply for a position in our prestigious order. Soldiers of his caliber and talents are exactly what we are looking for in our members."

The girls all looked at each other, the same question burning on their lips. What brother? It seemed to Rarity that Twilight kept her family members a close secret - on second thought, she corrected herself, she probably hadn't figured out yet that this was the kind of thing friends shared among them. Her inner gossip tried to voice her questions but was expediently beaten and left tied in a corner by an alliance of her inner propriety, sense of timing, sensitivity and eavesdropper.

"Uh," Twilight threw a short apologetic look to her friends behind her, "Shining always seemed to be happy enough with his current rank. He isn't doing bad for himself, considering."

The eye-dropping stallion nodded. "Canterlot's Captain of the Royal Guard is nothing to sneer at, I give him that. But Raegdan has done Shining Armor a great disservice by stopping him from reaching his full potential." Steadfast smirked at Twilight's panicked 'eep'. "I _am_ the Solar Commander, Miss Twilight. If I want to know something then I will find out easy enough. This is far from Raegdan's greatest sin but I am nothing if not persevering. Shining Armor will see the light one day and we will be waiting for him." Twilight nodded absently, seeming awkward at the direction the conversation had taken. Spike also looked unhappy, frowning at the Commander that had yet to acknowledge his presence.

Canterlot Captain of the Royal Guard is certainly nothing to sneer at, Rarity knew this much at least. Equestria was split into six "districts" as far as guard forces went, each of them under the shared jurisdiction of three captains per territory. Twilight's brother's position as Canterlot Captain was the most illustrious a pony of his rank could get. The only ones to outrank him would be the various district Commanders.

Steadfast Ray seemed to honestly believe that Twilight's brother should give that up for a spot in the Solar Guard as their newest recruit.

Having left a small distance between them and the Solar Commander, Applejack started whispering to Rainbow Dash. "Is every Solar Guard like that?"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked.

"What ah mean is," Applejack specified, "is that this guy hasn't even bothered with saying a simple "hey" or glance towards us. And the way he mentions Princess Celestia gives me the creeps."

"Their job is to be badflanks, not nice. And trust me, he keeps his eyes on us. I've heard of this guy, he is the reason the Solar Guard had to double their recruiting Tournaments in recent years. The moment one of them shows the slightest hint of inattention or not being completely devoted, "Rainbow made a sweeping gesture at her throat, "he knocks them off their ranks, just like that." They followed the Commander in silence after that, absently listening to him singing praises for either his Guard or Celestia with every other sentence.

Rarity had to ask. "Why the creeps, Applejack? He has been less than courteous with the rest of us," she gnashed her teeth just an itty bit, "but apart from that..."

"Listen to him," Applejack said nodding towards Steadfast, "hear how he talks about the Princess and stuff?" Applejack lowered her voice even more, forcing Rarity and Rainbow to bend their heads closer together. "Granny told me some stories once or twice, 'bout some ponies who claimed the Princess was a bona fide Goddess. Now, there are a lot of ponies who believe that in some part at least, kind of hard not to with the whole moving the sun and whatnot, but some of those ponies she told me about were all mad about it."

"There were a few in th' old days, she said to me, that would gather up and pray together before sunrise for Celestia to bless'em. Many of 'em were just plain weird about it, doing those little rituals and stuff, maybe that's how they learned it from their folk, but ah few of 'em, oh, a few of them, alright!"

"Some would take any casual mention of Celestia's name as a sin and turn violent to y'all sometimes. Other's forced their kids to crazy stuff trying to make them get a Cutie Mark that had to do with the day or sun so they'd be "holy". Others... others would take the ritual stuff too far. They'd include ponies that weren't there so they'd pray with 'em if you get mah drift," she finished darkly.

Rarity had known about ponies holding those beliefs. She even knew a few of them. But, to go to such lengths... she felt a chill run up her spine. What was the world coming to?

Fluttershy offered her own two bits in the conversation. "I, I once heard about a mare that looked straight at the sun until she got blind. She said she wanted to burn out her sins."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah, well, that's the reason those characters never sat well with me. Too easy to get stringed along to bad choices, granny says, if y'all go believing a pony that claims to hear Celestia's voice coming from the sun."

They stopped in front of what would be an unassuming door if it wasn't for the two Solar Guards standing in front. Commander Steadfast accepted the sharp salute with an imperceptible nod. "I will leave you here. I need to inspect the arena for tomorrow's fights. Her Radiance waits for you inside," he said and retreated in a dignified trot. Rarity noticed Applejack watching him go with relief.

They walked through the door the guards opened for them and saw a spartan but elegant parlor, a large balcony with doors open at one side letting a refreshing breeze in. From her place, sitting on a large, soft-looking cushion, showered in rays of sunshine -Rarity thought that the sun would be too high up by now to let its light straight in this room- Princess Celestia floated down her cup on the small table in front of her and smiled. "Twilight, Spike, girls! Would you like to have some tea with me?" she said as if they were all old friends who joined together daily.

Rarity was a mare of dignity so she only squealed internally.

Rarity did not like what she was hearing so far. She expected Princess Celestia of all ponies to have more sense than that. Admittedly, she didn't know anything about Raegdan's character, his nuances and quirks, but the savage picture that Twilight and Spike had painted made her think that this day had a good chance of ending in disaster.

Twilight also hadn't taken the news that Celestia had not so much as hinted to Twilight's former bodyguard about their arrival. She was trying to control her shivers and ease her nerves with massive consumption of Celestia's excellent tea, having drained a teapot on her own so far -Rarity admired her bladder control at least.

Princess Celestia had glued herself to her student's side, one of her large, pristine wings caressing Twilight's back. Rarity held Spike close to her, the baby dragon also doubting the outcome of the incoming meeting, his little claws clicking against each other, producing a small spark on random intervals.

Celestia spoke softly, taking care to keep Twilight calm with her tone, at least. "I have very valid reasons to withhold notifying him, Twilight."

"If you don't mind telling us, Princess," said Applejack, eyes locked on Twilight's shaking cup, "what would those reasons be? Seems a foolish thing to do, considerin' who we talk about." Rarity noticed that Applejack wisely didn't specify if she referred to Raegdan or Twilight.

The white Alicorn took Applejack's admonition in stride. "It is a little complicated. For one, if I did let him know you are coming, he would have ran off to hide."

Twilight head bobbed up with a gasp. "But... but your letter! You wrote that he wants us back!" Twilight looked betrayed by this revelation.

The white wing tightened around Twilight. "I did. But there is a big difference between what he wants and what he thinks you two need."

Celestia had completely lost her usual serene look and had an expression of complete exasperation. "I wrote to you what he really wants, the two of you back in his life. What he thinks however, is that you are better off without him upsetting your personal lives, especially since he learnt how well you were adjusting to life in Ponyville, and yes, Twilight, he has been reading the reports you have sent me," she smiled, "he is very sneaky but he got too certain of himself one night and I caught him in the act of creeping in my chambers at night to read them. The Solar Guard is pretty much after his head for that, especially since they still have no idea how he does it."

"This alone should tell you how much he is starving for even the slightest way to reconnect with you, my dear student. That bonehead is too much of a," Celestia uttered a sharp, harsh word that Rarity failed to understand," to admit it."

Spike snorted with mirth at Rarity's side. "That's one of his words. The bad ones."

"I know," Celestia grinned, "he explained what it means to me once, and it fits him to a t."

Twilight choked a laugh, put her cup down and turned her head upwards to Celestia's face. "This, I can see him doing this." She hesitated for a bit before continuing. "What other reasons are there?"

Celestia sighed. "Raegdan's been... unhappy with some of my choices lately. His trust in me has waned a bit, and I didn't want to give him more reasons to distance himself."

Rarity liked the direction this day was heading towards to less and less.

The Princess rose up on her long legs. "I think we should delay this no more," she said, giving Twilight an appraising look, "and settle it right now. I believe we should treat this like a band-aid, Twilight. Better to rip it off at once than let it pull out our hairs one by one."

"Ok, I can... I can do this," Twilight said, shakes making a comeback on her voice and legs. "Where is he?"

"Mmmm, I gotta say Princess, this ain't my turf so ah might be wrong, but this doesn't seem to be leading to what i'd think is Raegdan's pad. This looks more like..." Applejack trailed off, hoof waving towards the doors in front of them.

They had been led towards one of the Castle's towers and made their way up, almost to the very top. The last staircase left them standing in front of this pair of intimidating doors. Rarity was surprised by the lack of guards and ponies. The closer they got to their destination, the less ponies seemed to wander around with almost complete absence of life in and around the tower.

The doors were made of an ebony material, thick and so dark it seemed to suck the light around it. A full moon, split in half by the seam of the doors, was placed high up, made of cloudy silver. Piercing, silver stars were placed around the door, in a seeming random pattern, holed in deep grooves. Streaks of deep dark purple and dark blue seemed to wave in and out of the portrayed night sky. Unless this was the extravagant entrance to Equestria's most sinister observatory, there was only one pony that could be making her home in the chambers beyond.

Considering that this was the first impression they had of Princess Luna after her short stay at Ponyville, they really couldn't be blamed if the title "Nightmare Moon" was expressing itself in their heads with loud screams, could they? Poor Fluttershy was staring at the moon high above, her jaw wide open. Rarity noticed Rainbow Dash circumspectly put a hoof under it and close her mouth.

"Raegdan has been spending the majority of his time with Luna," Celestia informed them. "He has been paying back Twilight's kind help in learning Equestrian by aiding Luna in updating her vocabulary. He has also been assisting her in her studies to familiarize herself with modern culture," she pouted a bit, "and although I am uncertain of the wisdom of that particular choice they have both been very scholastic in studying a variety of surprising subjects."

She stepped forwards, her long horn lit as it opened the massive doors. "He also seems to have recruited my sister for some of his projects," she smiled knowingly at Twilight, "speaking of which, the first magic Deep Microscope is being constructed at Canterlot University, right now. We expect to have the first detailed image of a cell by next month."

Whatever a cell was, it was the most proper thing to say to Twilight at that moment. It allowed her to make it through the door, lost in a trance, daydreaming about Celestia's words, eyes filled with wonder and lips locked in an adorable "o" position.

The foyer they came in was a surprise. Rarity would have expected dark color, casting the room in simulated darkness. What she saw instead was pleasant, earthly colors, punctuated by a streak of dark blue or, rarely, purple. The furniture was robust, thick and rich, unlike the dainty creations that she had seen in the rest of the Castle, making the setting appear strangely homely. The light was dim, thick dark curtains drawn over the windows, but this only intensified the warm closeness. A thick, dark blue carpet dominated the floor. At the end of the room, a double staircase made of dark wood led to the floor above. Among the twin stairwells was a wide balcony, its doors left wide open.

Celestia approached one door at the end of the room, eyeing it critically before pressing her ear against it and chuckling at what she heard. "If past experiences are any guide, I believe we will find our quarry in here. Twilight, are you coming?"

Twilight had stopped in the middle of the foyer, one hoof rubbing the other, as she answered. "Actually, Princess, I was thinking I should wait here till you let him know why we came. I... I need some more time to prepare myself," she said, convulsively swallowing.

Spike was fidgeting next to her, Twilight's tail wound around one of his little claws. "I'm gonna wait here too, Princess. Giving dad a warning first might be for the best."

Celestia's mouth was set in a straight line. "If you believe you need some more time, then I won't rush you, Twilight." Celestia looked at the rest of the group around her. "You girls better come along. He will be more patient with you next to me, though one of you might want to stay back with Twilight?" she hinted.

Fluttershy offered at once, eager to both refrain from a social activity but mostly because that's who the sweet dear was. She trotted daintily to Twilight's side and put one of her soft wings around her, making her smile in gratitude. Applejack opted to stay behind too, dedicated to being the pillar of strength that Twilight relied on.

"Right," Celestia said, forcing back the serene smile, "in we go!" She opened the door and they all walked into the dark room.

Rarity, Rainbow Dash and a skipping Pinkie Pie followed right on her tail. When Rarity got in she saw that the room was not completely unlit. A small, covered lamp was providing a weak source of light, casting the room in a deep semi-darkness. Rarity's eyes adjusted quick enough and recognized the room as a study. Bookshelves covered the wall on the left of the door. Examining the opposite side explained why there was no light allowed inside. The wall and windows had been covered with large panels made of cork, very much like the smaller ones Rarity herself liked to use in her design room. A multitude of papers had been tacked on, brimming with words and hurried sketches of uncomprehending design. There were two desks in the room. One of them, the largest by far, was located near the end of the room, in front of a very large mirror with a glinting gold frame. She saw the shape of another, smaller one, in the corner, where the light did not reach.

There was no biped being waiting for them here. Rarity re-examined the room. Twilight's general description made her certain that he would be impossible to pass unnoticed. Someone as tall as Celestia would certainly-

Rarity saw Princess Celestia staring at the dark corner where the small desk was. Rarity scrutinized it further and as her night vision sharpened she saw a strange silhouette had been slumping over it. She realized that she had been hearing a constant noise ever since they entered, which she could now identify as a drowned snoring.

Princess Celestia's magic encompassed the small lantern, removing its cover and increasing its light much further than a light-source of that size could offer.

Rarity felt her chest seizing at the sight. The sharp intakes of breath next to her let her know that her friends had the same reaction. Only Princess Celestia was unaffected by what she saw.

The notorious Raegdan was across them, sitting on a stool and fallen across the desk, sleeping on top of his arms. He was wearing only a pair of dark blue trousers, leaving his upper body naked, exposing them to the horrifying view on his back.

An countless amount of criss-crossed lines were making their way over each other. The skin was coarse, raising angrily in places only to look painfully dug in at others. There was no part of his back uncovered of the blackened ridges, apart from near his sides, and they flowed all the way down with no stop to them until they were covered by the fabric of his clothing.

Rarity forced herself to breathe. Next to her, Rainbow Dash spoke up, her exclamation deafening in the silence that reigned in Rarity's ears.

"Oh... my... gosh!"

The snoring stopped. The mangled spine straightened up and a head covered with a short black mane rose up. There was a delay of a couple of seconds as the figure in them recognized the changes in its environment and in a sudden movement it was on its feet, turned towards them.

There was a Nightmare Night when Rarity was a little filly that stuck in her memory, haunting her childhood dreams. She had begged and begged her parents to let her walk through a haunted house attraction with her classmates. Her mother denied her but her father gave in to her filly tears and convinced her mother to give her permission too.

By the time she reached the exit, Rarity fervently wished he hadn't. In the haunted house she faced the expected jump scares that she loved to scree-loudly yell at. Spiders, snakes, red colored water running from the walls, ghosts jumping from the corner.

But near the exit they saw the Nightmare attraction. Instead of the customary Nightmare Moon actor jumping and snarling at the guests, the owners had fielded a view of one of Nightmare Moon's prisoners. A stallion was thrashing on a table, covered with bloody lines, hooks and chains positioned around him. The sight of somepony in such pain with promises of worse to come had marked her young self. She had nightmares of what happened to that stallion as they left him behind for weeks, that what they saw wasn't an actor but a pony who really was put there for Nightmare Moon's amusement.

When she saw Raegdan in full light, his mane unkempt and wild from his sleep, Rarity thought for the first time in her life that her imagination had probably been too small. His back had been a horror. She couldn't think of something worse to happen to somepony. But Twilight's former guard offered an answer to that.

His torso and arms were a canvas where torment and pain had been given free reign with their tools of art. Straight and jagged scar lines of various sizes were spread all over, physical memories of deep, brutal lacerations. Pock marks of various sizes clouded any free space among them. Rarity was no doctor, but with her eyes sharpened by a life of attention to details, she saw the small white marks that trailed along a number of the scars, stitching marks, some expertly made with equal distance between each, most crude, repeating themselves next to each other in awkward lines. Others she thought must have originated by claws and teeth, their symmetry and positioning betraying them. With bile coming up her throat, she figured that at some point he had been bitten almost in half by something extremely large.

His left forearm shined in the light, discolored against the rest of him. Other random areas also glistened alike, proof of burns that had covered him at various points in his life.

At his chest she noticed two circular scars, one larger than the other, that were more recent, covering the older ones below them. From Twilight's story she recognized one of them as the place where that foalnapper managed to stab him. The thought of somepony gored like that made her sick.

Not even his face was left unmarred. Something had clawed him at the jaw, reaching down to his throat. Another stab scar was on his left cheek. Tiny, white scars where spread around, but went virtually unnoticed to the casual look by the multitude of much worse.

His kind must be bastions of fortitude. Rarity doubted any pony could withstand half of those wounds in its lifetime and survive.

Apart from the walking horror he presented, he was like Twilight described. Raegdan's body resembled a minotaur but his structure was far more aesthetically pleasing to Rarity. Under his naked skin, the shape of his muscles were easy enough to see. He seemed built for strength far more than speed, his muscles thicker than ropes, in the rough shape of a result gained from hardship and not the definition of carefully built result of following an exercise regime. He was way less top heavy, his arms and legs proportioned much better. His balance was obviously much better, exemplified from the easy way he stood straight, unlike the minotaurs who had to carefully measure every hoofstep unless they wanted to end up flat on their noses because of the small contact surface allowed to them by their hooves.

She broke her gaze away from the ghastly scars. Raegdan had only flickered his eyes at Rarity and her friends in the room for an instant before glaring at Celestia.

His lips opened and through his gritted teeth -Rarity noticed how perfectly capable for cutting they were- he addressed the Princess with contempt dripping on every syllable.

"What the fucking hell are you doing here, Celestia?"

Rarity wondered to herself if she mentioned to anyone yet how much she didn't like the day's direction.

She wasn't so hot on how she kept being ignored either.

The Princess started to say, "Raegdan, I would like to introduce to you-"

"I don't fucking care who they are, get them out of here before I do!" he interrupted.

The Princess continued as if he didn't interrupt her, "-Rarity, bearer of the element of Generosity, Rainbow Dash, bearer of the element of Loyalty and Pinkie Pie, bearer of the element of Laughter." Pinkie Pie waved wildly with a toothy smile.

Raegdan frowned and took his time scrutinizing them. When he turned his attention to her, something in Rarity, some old buried instinct whispered urgently, " _predator, do not move, do not breathe, get ready to run, predator, don't move, predator, don't breathe, predator, predator, predator..._ "

He turned back to Celestia and the moment of hide or flight passed.

"I see."

Princess Celestia sighed. "Raegdan, this is not what you think. We are here to-"

Raegdan interrupted her again, hissing. "These are _her_ friends. These are the mares you send with _her_. You expect to change my mind by having them speak for you?"

"Raegdan, if you calm down and listen-"

"NO!" he roared. "This time you fucking listen to me. Discord was the final straw, this will not happen again, **_I_** will not let it happen again. You sent them against a dragon and then a damned god! Your _first_ response was to throw _my girl_ right at their jaws! Is this what you brought them to Canterlot for? To get them equipped again and send them off? Well, this isn't happening this time, if it means shattering your precious elements with my own hands then I will do -GET THE HELL AWAY FROM THERE!"

Rarity watched in terror as Raegdan charged forward. Pinkie Pie, in her usual manner, had been prodding and examining every part of the room. When she got near the extremely large mirror, Raegdan exploded in action, pulling Pinkie up by her mane and then holding her by the throat against the wall.

Celestia was yelling to put her down but Rainbow Dash, in her usual manner, took action instead. She launched to the air and with a single beat of her cyan wings she reached Raegdan and kicked at his head. Raegdan's head launched back, blood spurting in a wave from his nose but before Rainbow Dash could taunt him -again, her usual manner, Rarity was familiar enough with her MO- Raegdan's other hand launched forward, his fingers snaked around Rainbow's throat and before she could react he thrust her against the wall, next to Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow tried to force him to let her go by hitting as much of his arm as she could reach with her front hooves. Raegdan ignored her attempts to hurt him, glaring and growling her to submission.

Rarity saw Celestia's muscles flexing, ready to charge forward herself, when Pinkie Pie's innocent laughter echoed in the room.

"You are so much faster than you look, mr. Twilight's dad. I was just standing there when suddenly, whoosh! It felt like my little stomach had to rush after me." She lost a bit of her wide smile and got an apologetic, but smiling look. "I'm sorry for touching your stuff. I was just looking at the pretty mirror, I wouldn't break it, honest!"

Raegdan looked at her slack-jawed. Well, Rarity thought, par for the course. Pinkie Pie gets nailed on a wall by one of the most terrifying figures they ever saw -one they knew has killed ponies before, mind you- and what does she do? Smile at it, apologize and breaks its brain.

"Do you understand that I can really hurt you?" he asked like directing the question at a very young filly.

"Nah," Pinkie said, dismissing the idea with her hoof as if it was impossible, "you wouldn't do that to Twilight's friends. I mean, Dashie kicked you really hard, you are bleeding by the way, I think I got a band-aid, it has giraffes on it, and you are holding her carefully up so she doesn't choke."

Rainbow stopped struggling and looked downwards at her throat. She spread her hooves and stopped moving her wings, testing Pinkie's claim. Rarity had to admit, she seemed to be breathing just fine and be in no pain at all. Huh!

"Can you let us go now, pretty please? Or hold me upside down, its fun when the blood rushes to my head and then I see the colors all weird and everything starts moving too fast, its like if you have been to sea, have you ridden on a ship before, I haven't but I rowed a boat once gently down a stream and I started singing, I don't remember the song but I saw a little lamb, it was soooo adorable..."

Raegdan set them both down gently. Rainbow briefly checked herself and pulled the still bumbling Pinkie with her, back to Celestia's side. Raegdan was immobile, staring at the wall.

Celestia nudged Rarity with her wing and when she got her attention she nodded her towards the motionless figure. Rarity understood her meaning. If Princess Celestia spoke to him she might set him off again. But there was a good chance he might listen to Rarity.

With courage she didn't know she had -and wondered who was responsible for it, she really didn't want to do this- she walked to Raegdan's side. The huge person that had once killed a pony with his teeth and had her friends pinned just seconds ago. What- what a great idea!

"Mr. Raegdan," she bid his attention, "my name is Rarity. I am one of Twilight's friends."

"I know who you are." He seemed to be dazed or lost in thought. Rarity wondered if this was his way of regretting his actions. "I have read her letters to Celestia. You are... you are a good friend to her and Spike."

She blushed. "Thank you. Sir, we are not here-"

He interrupted her with a motion of his hand. "Not sir or mr. Just, just Raegdan, please. Always Raegdan..."

"Raegdan then." Rarity was feeling a bit sorry for him. She saw what Twilight and Spike meant when they said he was cruel but kind too. His whole demeanor had changed. His voice had softened and his movements were slower and calm. "We are not here for Elements business of any kind. We are just escorting Twilight and Spike, as good friends are want to do."

He straightened up, visibly nervous. "Escorting Twilight and Spike? They came here with you?" Rarity nodded. "Where, where are they? Why are they here?"

Twilight spoke up from the door. "We are right here. I wanted to say I'm sorry, dad. Forgive me, please?"

It was as if all of them, but Raegdan, had turned to statues, able to watch but not intervene. He looked straight at Twilight and Spike, the little dragon standing timidly next to the unicorn. Rarity saw, as in slow motion with every movement enunciated, Raegdan's throat convulsing violently. At his sides, his hands were turned to fists, shaking. His eyes were wide and his face had blanched.

Twilight... Twilight was at least as bad. Her mane had lost its lovely cohesion as it always did in moments when she was greatly stressed. She had sat on the floor, judging from the tremors spreading through her she didn't trust her ability to stand. Her stance was pleading, begging for an answer to her request.

Seconds passed with no word uttered. Rarity felt cracks spreading across her heart and tears welling in her eyes. This was going to end horribly. She knew, _knew_ , that Raegdan would keep his silence. Twilight and Spike would feel completely rejected and run off. They would run after them, finding them hours later, holed in a deserted room, crying their eyes out. And for the rest of their lives, a small part of them would remain shattered, never able to be fixed again, no matter how much Rarity and the rest of the girls tried.

"I'm... this was a mistake, I don't know what I was thinking... I'll, I'll leave, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." she sobbed and turned to leave with Spike, Raegdan still motionless at Rarity's side.

"Oh darling, don't go, keep trying, don't give up, he obviously still cares, just try again," Rarity begged in her mind, too absorbed in the tragedy of the moment to speak, to attempt to make a difference to the cruel destiny that was shaping in front of her.

Pinkie Pie, may all the stars shine on her for the rest of her life, did not believe in inaction when one of her friends was sad. Without anyone's notice she had moved behind Raegdan, rose up on her hindlegs and with all her earth pony strength she pushed him forward, yelling.

"Go and give them a hug now, you silly billy!"

Pinkie's laughing voice broke the inertia that had claimed them. More importantly, it broke Raegdan from his passivity. With huge strides he ran by Celestia that was standing between him and his target. Twilight and Spike had spun back at Pinkie's shout and were in perfect position for Raegdan to pull them in his embrace as he fell down on his knees.

"My little ones," he whispered fervently, cradling them in his arms, "I missed you, I missed you so much..."

Well, there it goes. Rarity's heart finally gave up and she ceased wrestling control of her tearducts. Twilight and Spike, side by side, hugged him back with all their strength, Spike's little, sharp claws leaving small scratches and thin lines of blood as they pierced Raegdan's unprotected skin. They were crying too, but unlike what she feared before, those were caused by happiness. Both sides were whispering to each other, as if afraid a louder voice would burst and ruin the reunion, trading declarations of love and assurances with each other.

Everypony had wet trails running down their faces. Celestia, Pinkie, even Rainbow Dash. Rarity gave a fledging thought to her mascara's state before dismissing it outright. She could replace it in seconds, afterwards. This was a moment of joy for her friend that she was going to treasure forever and she wasn't going to taint it with shallow notions.

"Eeh, what are you doing, _Small Pink_?" Raegdan butchered Pinkie's name as he stared incredulously at the earth pony that had fastened herself to their side, spreading her hooves as much as she could to hold onto all of them.

"I want to hug too, I love group hugs!" Pinkie answered him, nuzzling at his shoulder.

Raegdan's barking laughter filled the room and he pulled Pinkie into the space of his wide arms.

A new voice, touched with anger, broke in. "My chambers seem to be popular today. May I ask what is going on here?"

* * *

Luna was apprehensive at best when they first explained the reason for their presence in her rooms. It was only when it was made clear to her that her two-legged companion was thrilled with the outcome that she stopped looming threateningly over them. Seeing Raegdan's face covered with blood, from Rainbow's unfortunate rush to violence, would have ended with them receiving similar treatment of the same caliber at least, if it wasn't for Celestia beseeching her sister to calm down.

The night princess was radically different from the pony they saw last. Her coat was darker and her mane and tail were flowing in gentle waves, stars swimming among the strands. Rarity had to concede that Luna's mane was magnitudes of order more divine even that Celestia's. She had grown much taller too, standing over Rarity's height by more than a head but still not as tall as Celestia or Raegdan. Rarity wondered if she would one day come to be more like her Nightmare Moon form again. She desperately hoped not.

Luna was currently sharing a couch with Raegdan and his "playmates", though she was sitting apart a bit, displaying some wariness in approaching somepony too close.

Raegdan sat on the other end of the couch, his head rotated upwards with Spike attending his bleeding, using his small hands to pinch the nose on one point and wiping off the blood from his father's face with a wet cloth, Fluttershy directing him as she hovered above. Band-aids, decorated with giraffes, had been layered on his nose and the small scratches Spike accidentally gave him, courtesy of Pinkie Pie. At his side Twilight was snuggling against him, one of his hands gently scratching her, moving from her ears to her back. Years of experience had apparently taught him all the right spots to treat because Twilight hadn't stopped purring since he started, to Rainbow Dash's chagrin.

His other hand was busy holding Pinkie Pie upside down from her leg. Pinkie coo'ed with wonder, her head getting redder by the minute, as he gently swung her back and forth.

After the confrontation with an angry Luna that had been raised from her bed by the yelling, interactions went surprisingly smooth with one large exception.

When spirits calmed down, Celestia decided to repeat introductions, forcing a new start. Raegdan was very courteous with Rarity, asking about her line of work and mentioning how he would like to have something made by her, since apparently he normally completely covered most of his body with clothes, current showing non withstanding. Rarity's muse went ablaze and she made a mental note to take his measurements before leaving. He also, inconspicuously, bent near her and, unheard from the others, thanked her for her gentleness and generosity with Spike. Applejack asked what the blush was about but Rarity brushed her off with a "later."

Rainbow Dash was next in line. She tried to sheepishly apologize for hurting him but she was cutoff by Raegdan's exclamation of admiration for a solid hit. "Next time though, you want to follow up. Either keep going or back off," he advised her in good nature. Rainbow puffed with pride at the intimidating stallion's words. Rainbow assured him that this was the least she could do for her friends and Twilight, gaining a wide grin for Raegdan. It was Twilight's turn to blush next to him.

On her turn, Pinkie Pie launched herself with a jump at him, yelling loudly, "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie!" He caught her mid-air and proceeded to throw her up, almost all the way to the ceiling, again and again, Pinkie cheering loudly as he laughed.

When he put her down, to Pinkie's expressed disappointment, he knelt in front of Fluttershy. Fluttershy, unlike what Rarity expected, did not appeared to be frightened of him. Instead, she looked at him with an expression of concern and pity. When Raegdan got low enough she surprised all of them by hugging him. Rarity was close enough to make out her whisper, "thank you for saving my friend when she was little." Raegdan patted her back and they stood apart, saying nothing more to each other, just smiling in shared understanding.

And then Applejack stepped forward, crying out "Howdy!" to him, in her patented greeting. And Tartarus broke loose.

As soon as Applejack stepped clearly into his view, Raegdan -there is no other word to describe it, really- screamed. He tried to step away from the perplexed Applejack, only to trip and fall on his back. He didn't stop trying to move away from her, frantically kicking at the floor and dragging himself in a panic. He twisted around and rushed for the door when Celestia fell on him.

Raegdan tried to force her off but Celestia was stepping on the middle of his back and couldn't get a decent grip. He kept kicking at her legs blindly but the Princess easily avoided the aimless strikes. She bent her neck and spoke to him, in a calm, even tone.

"Raegdan, this is Applejack, from Ponyville. She runs Sweet Apples Acres near the Everfree Forest. She is just a little older than _Twilight_ and one of her _friends_. Raegdan, calm down and _think_!"

For some reason, this seemed to work. He stopped moving and Celestia moved away from him, letting him regain his breath before standing up.

Now that was curious. What would he find so terrifying on Applejack of all ponies to make him act like that? She looked at Applejack. She looked like she always did. Her old hat covered her head, her mane was in her usual ponytail and her coat was unblemished. She had a pair of small saddlebags on her but Rarity doubted that was what set Raegdan off. She had a similar set on her, though one stitched by yours truly.

With feigned calmness he walked back to Applejack and traded pleasantries with her. He systematically refused to answer why he reacted like that, both to Applejack and Twilight. When Twilight silently directed her question to the Sun Princess, Celestia shook her head in the negative, her mouth forming a stern straight line.

The introductions to Princess Luna were uneventful, at least. The Princess of the night accepted their bowing with good grace, thanked for cleansing her from her corruption and asked them, really asked them, to call her Luna in private.

The only detail that spoiled it for Rarity was the way Raegdan was looking at Luna when she referred to her time as Nightmare Moon. She wondered if he was harboring some disgruntlement for attacking Twilight at the time, but he seemed to be leaning towards worry rather than anger.

"Are you going to stay for a while, little ones?" Raegdan asked as he was now rubbing and scratching a content dragon and a half-asleep Twilight. Behind the couch, a dazed Pinkie Pie was stumbling back and forth, looking all around her with wonder.

"Yeah, "Twilight mumbled. "Princess Celestia invited us to watch the Royal Guard Tournament. Are you going to come with us?"

He chuckled. "Luna and I have made plans to be there. This might turn out more fun than I expected."

"What do you mean, dad?" asked Spike.

"Never mind that, little flame. You will see tomorrow. It's gonna be a surprise."

Twilight's mouth was pouting. "I don't like surprises. Can't you tell us now?"

He gently patted her cheek with his fingers. "No. Be patient."

"I don't want to be patient, I'm gonna be up all night wond-" Twilight opened her eyes and froze mid-sentence. "Raegdan! Your-your hand! Your finger!"

Rarity shifted her attention to Raegdan's fingers. She had missed it somehow, but where his right hand had five fingers, the left one was missing the smaller one. It seemed to have been chopped off, unevenly and badly cut.

"Oh, this old thing?" he said nonchalantly. "It's not really that important. I got spares. Don't worry about it, little one."

"Don't worry about it?" Twilight was furious at the casualness he exhibited. "It's your finger! What happened to it?"

"I traded it."

"Traded it?" she cried out. "Traded it for what?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, hands still working on his charges. Twilight turned to Celestia, "Princess? What happened?"

Celestia sighed. It seemed to have become a common trend for her where Raegdan was involved. "I do not know Twilight. One day it was just gone. He refuses to say how."

Pinkie Pie took his hand in her hooves and carefully examined it. "Did a nasty mosquito bite you and you scratched it so hard it fell off?"

"A perfectly good explanation," he encouraged Pinkie, "I'll go with that one."

Twilight evidently gave up on him giving an honest answer and settled back to being scratched again.

Rarity decided to try and draw their current hostess in a conversation. "So, Princess Luna- excuse me, I meant Luna, your sister let slip that you and Raegdan are working together on some kind of project?"

"More than one actually," Luna answered excited, "I do not wish to spoil the surprise either, but we are working on wonderful ideas that will change our world forever."

"Does this have to do with the knowledge Raegdan has, like Twilight informed us?" she inquired.

"Almost exclusively," Luna nodded, "we have been taking detailed notes of everything he can remember of his kind's technology and scientific progress and slowly figuring out their magical equivalents. It is a slow progress as we are working with bits and pieces, some terms we simply have no translation for and have no idea what Raegdan remembers correctly or is just wrong about but-"

"Wait," Twilight interrupted, standing ramrod straight. "You have been taking notes of everything? All that Raegdan knows?"

"Well, yes," Luna answered her, "we are trying to be organized about it-"

"That room dad was sleeping in... All those papers on the wall and the desks- were those them?"

Rarity had a vision of the future. It involved a unicorn leaving the room in a mad dash for knowledge.

"Twilight, darling-" she started.

She didn't manage to finish before Luna answered Twilight. "Yes, most of them-"

Raegdan saw what was coming too late but still attempted to make a grab for Twilight. Twilight however seemed to be more worked up than they thought. Instead of running off to the study she was simply gone in the magic explosion of a teleportation.

Raegdan lost no time and ran out, shouting, "Twilight, come back here!"

The next few minutes proved to be very entertaining to those who decided to stay behind, which meant everypony else. Raegdan's and Twilight's voices were easily carried to them as they shouted to each other.

"Twilight, you are not allowed to mess with these-"

"These are all written in gibberish, I can't read these!" she yelled in anguish.

"I am not an idiot to write it down in Equestrian. These are all written in my language, now drop them."

"No, If i have to translate them to read them then I will! I am the smartest unicorn around, this won't stop me!"

"Twilight, I know three different languages of my kind, you won't make a dent in these no matter how you try."

"Wait, your people are a multilingual race? How does that work? Is it a geographical reason or did you segregate your language based on social standards or-"

"Put those papers down and Ι will tell you all about it, how about that?"

"NO! Those are mine now. I deserve them, you never told me anything, I need to know!"

"Don't make me be violent, Twilight. Either drop it all or I will punish you."

"Ha," Twilight scoffed loudly, "you never laid a finger on me on your life, you are not gonna start now."

"I swear, I will torch every single one of them-"

"NOOOOOOOooooooo!" Twilight screamed in pure terror, "don't hurt my babies!"

"Just let them go before they rip, I have reasons I don't want you to-"

"Buck you, you old," Twilight said the same harsh alien word that Celestia had used before.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Oi, Twilight, you never, _ever_ , call your parents that. You are bucked now."

Twilight obviously agreed if her loud "eep" was any indication.

Raegdan's voice rose to new heights, sounding as if he was standing right next to their ear. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY, YOUNG LADY?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"CELESTIA! GET THE SINK FULL AND FIND ME A BAR OF SOAP, NOW!"

"Nooooooooooooo, I'll be good, I'll be good, stop, stop, stop!"

"Get down from my back and face your punishment like a grown mare, Twilight, before I-"

There was silence after he stopped. Everypony held their breath. Rarity wondered if he finally killed Twilight by accident. He sounded angry enough for that.

"Little one," they heard him say, his voice strangely passive.

"Did you just pee on me?"

Everypony started snickering.

"I, I had a lot of tea and you squeezed too hard..."

Never before had Rarity thought she would see two Princesses rolling on the floor, trying to stop their laughter long enough to gulp down some precious air. She would have appreciated the sight more if she wasn't in the same state, along with everypony else.

Luna was the first to manage to regain enough self-control to get up. "I'll go fill the bathtub," she said, causing everypony to suffer through more laughing seizures.

Outside the room, Twilight and Raegdan were dripping and waiting for them to calm down so they could go and wash up.


	4. Ch04 - Starting the day sweet

"Alright! Now, that's what I call breakfast!"

Rainbow jumped on her seat at the table and admired the magnificent choices spread before her for all of two seconds before piling up rows of sugary treats on her plate.

Rarity, of course, had to be all over her case and try to be a complete spoilsport. Didn't that pony make her go through enough already?

"Rainbow, dear," she said in her oh so snooty accent, "do you really think it's a good choice to be so… overzealous in your choice of pastries?"

"Hey, I'm an athlete," Rainbow defended herself, "I need the calories so I can perform my awesome routines. You don't want me to run out of fuel mid-flight, do you? It would be a shame if my blood splattered all over your coat when I crash down because I didn't eat properly."

"First, you don't have to be so ghastly. I had quite enough of that yesterday, thank you," Rarity said as she scrutinized the selection of fruits, "second, you are not doing any flying routines today, we are supposed to be at the Tournament later, remember? And third, you can have a perfectly balanced breakfast without bloating yourself with sugar."

"Oooh, ooh, I can fix that, here!" yelled Pinkie Pie excitedly. She leaned from her seat next to Rainbow and in one swift motion, too quick even for Rainbow Dash, had taken all of the delectable treats into her mouth, chewing happily.

To Rainbow, she looked like an overgrown chipmunk filling its cheeks with its stolen booty.

"Really, Pinkie Pie? You live in a bakery! You eat that stuff all the time, would it kill you if I had the same for once?" she said with disappointment.

"I difdn't wvanf to mesf vith mby dietf!" Great, now Rainbow had the chewed up remains of her former feast on her face. With extra saliva. Whooo!

Applejack had gathered a small varied selection of everything, dominated by a large plate of sliced apples. Rainbow groaned just seeing that. Seriously? She _grew_ apples, she had to have them even now?

And now even Rainbow had to make do with fruit and toast herself again. Damnit, Pinkie Pie…

"Does somepony know if Twilight and Spike are back yet?" asked Applejack, aggressively buttering a piece of toast, eager to bury it under layers of the stuff.

Rarity put down her fork and answered. "I am sure if they were back by now, they would have chosen to join us. Perhaps her parents asked them to break their fast with them at their home. Goodness knows, they see them far too infrequently."

"I think it was very sweet of Raegdan to think of her parents like that. If- if I had this kind of relationship with somepony and hadn't seen them in so long, I don't think I could be so caring." Fluttershy joined in as she finished her current, long, careful chewing of her bite.

"Yeah, sure Flutters," said Rainbow, "you of all ponies would be so selfish and uhhh, what's the word," she teased, her hoof stroking her chin in thought. "Help me out here, it's like, the opposite of the Element you got. I got it just on the edge of my tongue…"

"Har, de har har, Rainbow. Har, har," Applejack deadpanned. Applejack spent a few moments popping apple slices one after another in her mouth before continuing. "Ya know, since Twilight and Spike ain't here yet this is the best moment to ask y'all, what are ya thinking of Raegdan so far?"

"Isn't it a bit uncouth to speak about our friends' stepfather behind their back?" frowned Rarity.

"Ok, Rarity? Applejack just wants to talk about the guy, we are not gonna start harping on him." Rainbow was a bit surprised she had to say this for Rarity; for a gossipy mare of her caliber she was really hard to kickoff into talking.

"Well…," Rarity said uncertainly. Rainbow wasn't buying that for a single second. This right here, that was her trying to sell them her propriety thingy. "I find myself wondering, how much would our meeting change if Princess Celestia hadn't mentioned who we are right off the bat." Called it!

Rainbow had to agree with what Rarity was thinking. "You think she did that on purpose? Let him know we are with Twilight and Spike before she even had time to tell him why we were there?" That would be an amazing act of foresight, Rainbow thought. That or planning…

"I did think that things went too hairy in there when ah saw the fella pop out with all that blood on him. You thinkin' it could have been worse, Rainbow?" Applejack seemed worried with the prospect.

Unfortunately, Rainbow didn't think this was going to ease her worries. "Let's just say that if he didn't know I was his kid's pal I would be sporting some pretty nasty bruises," Rainbow shrugged, "or a broken neck. That guy isn't that fast but he's got some _mean_ reflexes…" Mean didn't half-cover it, if Rainbow wanted to be honest with herself. She could have dodged him, he was nowhere as fast as her, but that arm shot out the _instant_ she kicked at him. Maybe even before, just as he saw her coming, she thought more carefully. Which meant that his instinct wasn't to dodge or defend but… Ok, she was creeping herself out at this point. Timeout. Good thoughts.

"I gotta say though," Rainbow added, "totally worth it to see him soaping the egghead." Rainbow's grinning smile threatened to rip her lips apart.

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding, you are not actually gonna… Princess, helpaarghblarghasdfaghah!"

"I've told you, little one. No swearing! Now, stop biting and I might consider letting you take a page with you."

"I'm sorry, my student. You knew the rules."

"Farglahsijsutfstahppleasdfeenougharghbargh!"

* * *

Pinkie Pie stopped collecting the little crumbs of frosting that were on her plate with her tongue. "That was not very fair. He was swearing like Mr. Cake does when he hits his shin on the counter every morning, before Twilight arrived."

"Hmm, yes. He really changed his tune when he realized Twilight was there, didn't he?" Rarity asked with growing intrigue.

"Maybe it was Princess Celestia who was the problem, I reckon," Applejack said suspiciously.

"What could you possibly be implying, Applejack?" Rarity asked.

"Well, ah'm not saying anything about Princess Celestia, mind you," Applejack declared, "just drawing attention to how Raegdan and Princess Luna shifted their ways when her sister was gone."

"Oh, yeah, those two seemed to be getting really chummy after the Princess left." Rainbow added with false innuendo. At least she intended it to be false but… well, Luna was polite but pretty distant while Princess Celestia was in the room. And like Applejack said, she seemed to be less, well, comfortable, Rainbow guessed. She acted more like Twilight, afterwards. She was either glued to Raegdan's side or she had one of his arms on her.

Rarity seemed to be contemplating what was said, if Rainbow judged those hums correctly.

Rainbow decided to draw their attention to something else she noticed. "Did any of you watch Raegdan when we were talking to Princess Luna and stuff?"

"Hmmm?" Rarity's attention got diverted back to the real world.

Before Rainbow could clarify she was cut off by Fluttershy's interjection. "He- he kept, uhm, staring. When we talked to Luna, I mean. Or when we got near her. I think he wasn't looking very happy when we did that. He looked like one of my animals when they feel threatened. Maybe, like a bear…"

Applejack finished off the last of her toast and apple slices. "He is a real enigma, ah'll give ya that. What ah really wanna know is what happened between him and Twily."

"Applejack," Rarity admonished, "please tell me you are not seriously considering upsetting them by bringing this up! It's too soon."

"Well, nah, but at some point-"

"What I want is more stories about his scars! That one yesterday was awesome!" Oh, Rainbow couldn't wait to see if she could drag a couple more out of him. Some of those scars looked downright _brutal_. She wasn't going to ask about the back thingy however. She had a couple ideas about how somepony got something like _that_ and she didn't want to have any vivid descriptions about the process clutter in her head when she slept.

* * *

"Let's see," said Raegdan, examining his own ravaged skin, "which one can I tell you about… Ah, see this one?" He presented his left forearm, pointing a series of teeth marks, forming the shape of a huge bite. "I had been walking around for, I am not sure, maybe four or five days. I had nothing to eat, there was plenty of water, but the last of my food was long gone. I dropped it accidentally down a ravine if you can believe that. I had my stuff wrapped in a cloth around my shoulder and I couldn't make a decent knot to hold it so down it all went. Lost more than my food actually. Tools, clothes, little knick knacks, almost everything."

"Anyway, I'm walking around, tired and hungry and there is nothing to eat. Everything seemed to be either dead or gone. Almost everything. Turns out there was something else there still alive and it was as hungry as I was." Rainbow's ears had never been more focused.

"It's kind of hard to stalk someone when you are in a desolate, dead place. Or maybe the beast didn't much care to prolong things. What I knew is that I kept hearing it's hungry growls all around me. I think it was trying to scare me, make me run, tire me out and finish me off easier. That's what it might have been thinking."

"What I thought was, _finally, something I can eat._ I had ran out of options anyway. Either it killed me or I slowly starved to death. So, I tried to save my strength and waited for it to come to me. I didn't have any weapons, only a knife, traps were out of the question, there was no time and it was probably watching. Too tired anyway. I would have built a fire but I hadn't seen a tree for hours."

"It didn't try to set an ambush or blindside me from the shadows. It just… walked up to me. It was big, longer than I am tall, its head reaching up to my chest. It looked like some kind of big cat. It was obviously starving, I could see the skin tightening over its ribs. And it was sick. Big open sores were all over. It had lost its fur in patches and there were… growths."

"We both were each other's last chance to eat."

"We spent minutes just looking at each other. It attacked first. Just pounced all the way over to me, lunging for my throat. Weak and sick, sure, but it could still kick my tired a- _self_ easily. It must have gotten slower though, so," he showed them his forearm again, pressed against his neck's side, "I managed to block it. If it didn't break my arm I don't think I would have made it. As it was, the only reason I managed to not fall under it and get eaten was the pain and adrenaline that hit me when the bone broke. I got my knife through its eye and tried to work it up its brain and… Ok, we are stopping here, Fluttershy doesn't seem to want to hear more."

"Oh come on," cried out Rainbow, "you can't leave us hanging! What happened next?"

He shrugged. "As I said, it was sick. I had no choice but either… you know, or keep starving and then it got me sick too. I kept myself walking until I managed to…" he paused, looking at Fluttershy, "find something healthier to eat. Then it was all rest... and surviving the weather and sickness."

"Boring stuff, just days huddled under some rocks trying not to die, I'll spare you that."

His eyes went empty, probably thinking about those so called "boring days". Rainbow felt a chill up her spine. She tried to imagine having to fight to the death for your survival against claws and teeth. And then she imagined herself, alone, hunkering for cover and warmth in some hole, days and nights spent in sickness, alone, and wondering if this was the time she would die in her sleep. Facing the teeth seemed much easier in contrast.

Rainbow believed she might have a new idol.

"Why didn't you ever tell me stories about your life when _I_ asked you?" whined Twilight.

Raegdan's smile returned. "You wanted bedtime stories, little one, not 'how I survived horrible death' stories."

"Where did this happen? Was it the Badlands or-"

"Oops, look at that, storytime is over!"

* * *

"Uhm, it would be nice if he told us where he is from," Fluttershy said.

"Welp, we tried, sugarcube," said Applejack, "but no luck. No word about where he is from, how he came here, if there are more of him-"

"He said there were billions," Rainbow corrected her.

"And that," Applejack said harshly, "was an obvious fib. At least he had the decency to say a transparent lie about something rather than the half-truths and denials he spurted the rest of the time."

"Wow, AJ. You are really taking the Honesty thing seriously, don't you?" Rainbow ribbed at her friend.

And there came the sputtering, as she knew it would. "Ah just don't plain like lying. It always comes back to bite yah in the flank, and I like _mah_ tushy unbitten, thank ya kindly."

Their 'totally not talking about Raegdan behind his back' session quickly came to an end at that point when, after a brief knock, the door opened and in came Twilight, Spike lying on her back while rubbing his swollen belly.

"Good morning, girls! Who's ready for the Royal Guard Tournament?"

 _Yes, yes, yes, ohmyghosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, whooooooooooooooo…._

* * *

 _Yes, yes, a thousand times yes timesinfinityyesyesyes…_

Sparks filled the air around the pegasi dueling in the sky. Both of them were using razor sharp wingblades as their weapon of choice, the serrated metal bands lining the external edge of their wings. It was a great weapon for pegasi that had actually trained in their use as it allowed them not only a path of attack that most ponies were unfamiliar with but also forced opponents to stay clear of the pegasus' greatest asset and weak point during a fight.

A fight between two wingblade users however was one of the most dangerous, and exciting, things that can happen. Both combatants were forced to make extremely close dives to each other, dodging counterattacks by the hair of their coat or using their own blades to block. The ferocious strike of a wingblade against each other would disrupt both attackers flight paths, leaving the lesser flyer vulnerable to a second attack.

Nothing like that had happened yet. Both of the guards up there were utter pros, as far as Rainbow could judge. She knew that at any moment one of them would slip and there might be something more substantial than a shallow cut. Wingblades were by design sharp but not really dense and the need to allow wings their freedom meant there were some small gaps in their cover. It was not unheard of for a pegasus to try and perform a block only for the opponent's blade to slice through his wing.

She hoped it didn't come to that. Losing a limb on what amounted as an exhibition fight, even one as awesome as that, was not worth it. Rainbow herself, no matter how freakishly cool wingblades were, never even tried one on when she had the chance. The risk to her treasured wings was just too great.

"Look at that dive," Rainbow yelled, grabbing a terrified Fluttershy by her shoulders and shaking her harshly in an effort to make her open her eyes. "He is actually doing a corkscrew dive with wingblades! It's like a pony corkscrew of dea- she blocked him, I can't believe that, _did you see that, Fluttershy?_ "

"N-no, thank goodness. It sounds scary."

"Is Raegdan gonna be here soon? We've seen half the fights and he hasn't shown up yet," Spike asked next to her, looking behind him.

Rainbow glanced back too, just for an instant before turning her attention back to the two guards that had landed and traded a mix of blows with their wings and hooves. Oh. My. Gosh! That mare was _the_ blocking master. She actually used her armored horseshoes to deflect blows!

The Princesses were sitting a step above them on luxurious pillow seats that matched their colorations. A tent had been pitched above them to protect them from the heat, but the sun still managed to glint off its mistress' coat, making Celestia give off a gentle glow. Luna was well nestled in the tent's shadow, almost lost in it even in the light of day, enjoying the coolness it provided her from the hot day.

Rainbow and her friends had their own seats just below them. Rainbow had abandoned hers in record time so she could stand over the rail, dragging Fluttershy with her. Spike had also joined them, the little fella actually sitting on the edge.

Around them, various other ponies also watched, officials and their aides, families of the contesters and, of course, loads and loads of Royal Guards. All told, there had to be almost eight hundred ponies, filling the tiny arena to the brim.

"I don't know Spike," Twilight answered, "he said he would be and he wouldn't lie about that. Maybe it has to do with the surprise he is setting up?"

"Do not worry, Twilight Sparkle. Raegdan will show up soon. We are unveiling our "surprise" after this fight finishes actually." Luna managed to sound both comforting and smug in the same sentence.

Celestia emptied her glass of water, her eyes following the action in the ring. "You know, Luna, you never told me what kind of surprise you are actually planning."

"Do not fret, sister of mine. I assure you, you won't like it a bit." Luna left the comforting part die in a ditch.

"I don't like the sound of that, Luna. Raegdan and something I don't like usually means I have to make visits to hospital beds, offer recompenses, and drag Raegdan down to the dungeons."

"There will be no reason to offer recompenses or drag Raegdan anywhere. Trust me on that."

"I can't help but notice how you excluded hospital visits from- oh, my!"

"Looks like you will have to perform one without his help, sister." Down on the arena, blood was erupting like a fountain from a half-amputated wing. The offender was doing his best to hold the screaming mare down to keep her from aggravating the injury further while a team of medics ran to them.

Rainbow watched the Solar Commander walk to the victorious stallion. He pushed him away from the fallen guard, held up his bloodied hoof with his own, and announced him as the winner of the match. He didn't seem to even notice the medics trying to save the mare's wing just a couple meters away from him. Rainbow had heard that he was a badass but now she saw he also was just a plain ass.

When the medic team carried off the wounded and the winner moved outside the ring under the applause of his fellow guards, Steadfast Ray lifted his hoof for silence so he could announce the next match up.

"I believe this is our cue," said Luna and stood up, taking a big breath. She raised her voice, easily able to be heard over the entirety of the crowd.

"Solar Commander Steadfast Ray. I am sorry to say that we will have to interrupt the scheduled fight you have prepared for us next."

The Commander trotted towards the stands. "Is there a problem, Princess Luna?"

"Nay, my good sir," Luna continued to announce loudly, "but an announcement has to be made. My sister has long been served by the Solar Guard, a military force devoted to her protection. I have decided to follow her example and so I proclaim now, before all of you, the formation of the Lunar Guard!"

"A Lunar Guard?" Steadfast Ray sounded mighty offended to Rainbow. He didn't seem to like the idea of another group contesting with his own. Very poor sportsmanship on his part, she thought.

"Your Favored Radiance, I have to protest," the Commander beseeched his Princess, "the formation of a "Lunar Guard"," he spat, "is nothing but an affront to the cause of-"

"Hush, Commander," Princess Celestia interrupted him, "let my sister finish." Steadfast blinked disbelievingly.

"Who would even consider joi-"

"Enough, Commander. Silence."

Luna paused a second, looking curious at the Commander below her and her sister behind her. She regained her bearings and continued, head held high. "This newly formed group will have to work hard to gain your respect to the same degree of the Solar Guard," Steadfast huffed at that, "so in order to begin on that long, hard road, I present to you my first initiate, to challenge in honored combat one of the members of the Solar Guard so he may prove himself."

"I bring before you, Raegdan, First Guardsman of the Lunar Guard!"

The crowd exploded. Out of the shadows of the entrance, Raegdan made his way to the center of the arena.

Rainbow was not ashamed to admit that it was one of the coolest things she ever saw. Raegdan was covered head to toe in dark armor that left no doubt as to whom he served. His shoulderplates were decorated with large, dark silver depictions of the moon. In fact, the moon took prominent place in every place of note. His belt, elbows, knees and chest had silver designs of the moon or stars, cast in the same dark metal of his armor.

His helmet was the major exclusion. It's crest was a mix of a star and horns, rising up over his head, giving it a sinister look. Unlike every Guard helmet, Raegdan's was fully covering his face, leaving only a small slit for his eyes. Nopony would ever be able to cover their head so thoroughly without severely limiting their vision, but Rainbow guessed that Raegdan's smaller eyes were good for something after all.

A strange, circular hunk of metal was hanging from his back. It was slightly concave and its design was split down the middle. Strange waves were carved in half of it while the other half had a close, more realistic view of the moon's surface, small dark craters indented on it.

His weapon surprised Rainbow. She would have expected something like a sword as it was the classic weapon that knight ponies in tales always seemed to wield. Raegdan instead carried a strangely shaped hammer. One end of it ended in a square hammer head, the other was shaped more like a pick, its tip coming to a blunt looking end.

All in all, he wouldn't strike a reassuring figure in the night. Or day. Top marks for style, though. Totally wicked! Gilda would have approved.

He reached the middle of the arena and the noise from the crowd intensified. Nopony was cheering. Everypony seemed to have it for him, booing and yelling insults. Rainbow laughed at the sight. Raegdan acted like he was hearing nothing but cheers. He was waving his hands and urging them on, thriving in their derision. Rainbow felt jealous at his courage. She couldn't face a crowd that was, at worst, neutral towards her while her best friends were there to support her at the Young Flyers Competition. Yet here he was, unmoved by the vehemence everypony was piling on him.

She wondered why they acted like that. Was Raegdan's rep really that bad around the castle? How much of it was earnestly earned by his actions?

A rock was launched from the stands and clanged against the back of his helmet, causing him to stumble.

Celestia rose up, causing everypony to hush, like little colts that pushed their mother too far.

Raegdan quickly waved her down. He searched the ground and found the offending rock. He turned towards the part of the crowd where the projectile came from, seeming to search for the pony that attacked him.

When no obvious target made itself apparent he visibly shrugged and threw the rock at the crowd in random.

Rainbow had never seen something like what Raegdan did. When somepony threw something they basically moved their hoof in an arc with as much strength as they had, letting the object go at its peak. Even minotaurs, she had seen, threw like that, often holding onto something with their other hand so the sudden motion wouldn't throw them off balance.

What Raegdan did was entirely different. Rainbow was an athlete first, so she knew how important form and motion were. When you launched yourself in flight you had to uncoil like a spring or jump like a frog to put it in easier terms. She saw how Raegdan's form moved in sudden detail, even as fast as he did it, and her world was 'rocked'.

He began by moving sideways, his right leg placed far behind his left. He was facing mostly to the right instead of his front, apart from his head that was locked onto his target. His right hand, holding the rock, was stretched against the opposite direction, the left arm almost pointing at the target. And then he _uncoiled_. His middle twisted, his arm launched forwards and his legs switched positions, his right following him forwards while the left _pushed_ against the packed earth beneath it. Even his fingers moved, seeming to push at the rock as it left his palm. All this was done in less than two seconds.

The rock moved from his hand much faster than when it was thrown at him. Almost faster than Rainbow could see, noticing that he made it _spin_ , it crashed against a guard's chest, breaking apart and peppering those around him with small shards. Another pair of medics quickly rushed towards the fallen pony. Rainbow realised that she hadn't seen them even attempting to go check on Raegdan when he was hit. What a bunch of jerks.

Raegdan's face was hidden from their view, but the way he walked towards them told everypony how satisfied he felt with the results.

Princess Celestia spoke up when he stopped in front of them. "Raegdan, that was-"

"Very rude of them? I agree," he interrupted her ironically.

"My liege, I implore you to stop this madness. You cannot let this beast befoul our Tournament like that." Steadfast Ray was obviously still sore.

Luna took offense at his choice of words. While she had a very loud trade of opinions with the Solar Commander, mostly barbs from her and pleads towards a silent Celestia from him, Raegdan jumped to grab the railing and pulled himself up to them.

"So, little ones, how do you like the surprise so far?" he asked while removing his helmet.

Spike was beside himself. "This is so cool!" Yeah, the little guy had good taste as far as Rainbow was concerned. "You are actually gonna fight?"

"That's the plan. Some cheering from someone on my side would be great if you want to help."

"This is insane," Twilight said anxiously. "Raegdan, you are good against normal ponies, but those are trained professionals! This is what they do for a living. You can't win!"

"Ah, little one. Do you really have so little faith in me?" he asked.

"No, but-"

"It's ok," he stopped her. "Normally I would agree with you. But, first point. There's no real danger, is there? It's a simple contest, I just have to do well enough. Second point, I didn't just put this thing on and walk in. Luna has been training me. That girl really knows some things about fighting. For the first time in my life, I feel confident I can win a fight without it ending up with me in bloody chunks."

Rainbow remembered some of the tales that survived about Nightmare Moon. Luna would certainly know a lot about hurting ponies.

Spike showed his confidence in him. "You have been winning fights so far without training."

"Yes, but I almost always ended up bleeding my guts out. This time, it won't happen. I have a few advantages over these guys so I am feeling good about my chances of getting a clean, painless win," he made his point.

Near them, Luna's voice was raised in rage. "How dare you dispute the efficiency of my personal entourage! This will not stand! My Lunar Guardsman is twice as good, **NO** , _thrice_ as good as any of your pitiful excuses for warriors! And we shall prove it here and now."

"Do you hear that, little flame? That's the sound of those chances dying in a fire," Raegdan deadpanned.

"Choose three of your best," Luna continued, paying no attention to the person that had to do the actual fighting, "one of each tribe. Raegdan shall face them in combat, all three of them against him at the same time."

"Not even ashes left," Raegdan said bitterly as he put his helmet back on.

While Raegdan waited in the middle of the arena for his match to start, the girls had huddled near the rail. Luna was with them at the insistence of an extremely worried Twilight. At the very least, they were now in shade. Some merciful small cloud must have popped in the previously clear sky and gave them some relief from the heat.

"I really have no idea what the two of you are thinking trying to pull this off," Twilight admonished the Alicorn that could crush her in seconds.

"It is all part of our plan, Twilight Sparkle. I may have overdone it, but I am still confident of his capability to win."

"Win?" asked Twilight furiously. "Let's set aside that he will be facing some of the highest trained ponies in Equestria. You have him wearing heavy armor for C- Heaven's sake!"

Rainbow understood Twilight's point. There was a reason all guards were lightly armored. Heavy plate armor like that was intimidating and protective, but it restrained movement too much and was too heavy. You couldn't really kick with your hooves when kilograms of metal on your back pulled you downwards and even if you pushed through it you would be exhausted in minutes. Rainbow would always prefer speed over anything like armor. You dodge a hit, you are fine. You get hit, even with armor, you are still gonna feel that.

"You are thinking this from a pony's point of view, Twilight," Luna pointed at the figure that had sat down, legs crossed in a very weird way, "observe him. Do you see him bending under the armor's weight? Do you see his movement falter? He does not possess the pony form but his own. Where you would be correct that a pony would be greatly disadvantaged against three opponents by his armor, it is actually an advantage for him. The armor does not hang on him but straps and ties upon him, covering him like a second layer of skin."

Twilight still had doubts. "The weight will still tire him out-"

"Nay. Remember, not a pony. His endurance is much greater than any I have ever seen, even from the sturdiest earth ponies. His opponents would tire out before him, even with their much lesser weight. He and I decided to test his limits once." Luna grinned, embarrassed. "We didn't really come up with an answer. I… got exhausted and he had to carry me back."

"Why a hammer?" Rainbow asked. This was bugging her. "Why not a sword or something?"

"I tried to teach him with a sword at first. I felt confident I could make a fine wielder out of him even without knowing how his kind fought with these kind of weapons. Alas, he is completely incompetent with a long blade. We switched to the simplicity of the hammer after he almost cut off his own leg. And I must say, it was a finer choice in the end."

Rainbow brought the rock throw to her mind. "If he swings like he threw that rock…" she said loudly.

"How strong is he anyway, Twilight?" Applejack asked.

Luna answered her. "About as much as an above average earth pony I would wager at best. But do not be fooled. Watch how he moves when the fight starts. As Rainbow Dash has figured out already, he can put an astounding amount of power into his strike."

"And that thing on his back?", Rainbow spoke her own question.

"A metal shield. It was surprising to me too." Luna was visibly excited about this shield. "He keeps it strapped on one of his arms and has proven amazingly flexible in blocking and attacking. It makes me wish I had arms like my companion if only to make use of such a simple but ingenious barrier. The way he can bring it to protect himself so easily with a single move of his arm is an outstanding advantage over the draining static barrier spells we use."

Spike's face betrayed his own excitement and impatience to see his adopted father in action after absorbing all this new information. Twilight was frowning, still unconvinced. Luna let out a sigh and tried her last shot.

"Even without all this, Twilight, your step-father has one massive advantage over the Solar Guard."

"Which is?" Twilight asked in clear doubt.

"The Solar Guards, for all their training and expertise, have never had to face an opponent that overpowered them in true single combat. They never faced death. Raegdan has. He knows how to fight not to simply win, but to survive and kill."

"When the time comes, he won't hold back."

* * *

The Solar Guards to battle against the Lunar Guard had been chosen and everypony waited for the signal to be given by Celestia.

The earth pony stallion that stood in the middle of the trio had chosen more than one weapon. He had donned heavy war horseshoes that would allow him to strike and buck harder during the fight. In his teeth, he gripped a short handled pickaxe, obviously chosen so he could pierce through Raegdan's thick armor.

The Solar pegasus mare had also forfeited normal weaponry. She had a pair of strangely shaped hoofblades on her front legs. She wore them like normal horseshoes and the spikes faced downwards. Rainbow could only imagine the damage they would cause when used with a landing strike.

The unicorn was unarmed. He was obviously a trained caster, something that made him the most dangerous of the three. Raegdan would have no idea what to expect from him.

Rainbow knew now why they took this long to choose three Solar Guards to compete against him. They must have been taking their time choosing the weapons with the best chance of success. His opponents had probably been coached too.

Raegdan's body language let them know he was not worried. You know, apart from what he said before, or the venomous looks he threw at Luna. He was totally fine. He stretched his arms to the sides, forming a brief cross shape.

"A beautifully made baiting," whispered Luna from Twilight's side. "Let's see which one of them will take it." Rainbow didn't see what she was talking about. What… oh, OH!

"He just showed them how far back his arms can move!" Rainbow thought to herself, excitement filling her. Why would he do that, unless...

Celestia nodded to the combatants.

The pegasus mare was the first to move. She launched to the air, arcing around Raegdan's side and high overhead, heading for his back. The earth pony charged towards Raegdan while the unicorn slowly moved sideways, covering another point of attack.

"And it's the pegasus that falls for it." Luna told them. What was the crazy biped up to?

The pegasus was now making a straight line for Raegdan's back, her hoofs straight ahead, the wicked hoofblades ready to sink through his armor and flesh. She had almost reached him when Raegdan moved, once again surprising Rainbow in an unprecedented move.

In the span of less than half a second he was out of the pegasus' course. It was astonishing. Without making any obvious indication he had spun on the axis of his left leg, twisting out of the way in an almost dance-like move. As the surprised mare crossed the now empty space, Raegdan had kept moving. Much like with his throw, he used the momentum of his dodge and pushing again with every part of his body he _slapped_ the guard out of the air with his large shield.

Rainbow was astonished. She couldn't get in her head how he even knew the perfect moment to move. He couldn't see behind him and the mare's flight was nearly silent. "How did he-" she tried to ask Luna.

"The shadows," she pointed out, "he positioned himself so he could see her shadow as she approached him. A stupid mistake on her part, attacking from such an obvious angle, but," she raised her voice for Steadfast's sake, "their training apparently leaves much to be desired."

The earth pony meanwhile had reached Raegdan. He started swinging his pickaxe at him but Raegdan either blocked and deflected with his shield or stepped back to avoid him. The pony took a page out of his book and used the momentum of his last swing to turn his hind legs to the armored figure and kick with his powerful, magic imbued, earth pony strength.

Raegdan's shield came forward and absorbed the blow, but he hadn't had time enough to regain his balance and stumbled back, falling to the ground. Rainbow winced. He was losing the initiative. This was not good.

The unicorn entered the fray. His horn shined sharply and a beam of pure magic was fired towards Raegdan. Raegdan rolled on his back, avoiding it by the closest of margins, a deep trench made on the ground where he used to be.

"Hey, isn't that too much?" Applejack called out. "If that thing hit him he would be done for!"

Rainbow glanced at her side. Spike had lost his previous bravado and was chewing through his talons. Twilight was doing her little dance, her legs miming a running motion while standing still. Applejack and Rarity sat next to each other, shouting to everyone in hearing range about the unfairness of the fight. Fluttershy had put her head behind Rainbow, refusing to watch. Pinkie… Pinkie had somehow managed to make a small banner reading "Go Lunar Guard!" with childish drawings of a moon and stars and she waved it while cheering wildly. She was the only one cheering for Raegdan so far.

Luna watched the fight with an expression bordering on boredom.

Raegdan managed to get on one kneeling leg, only for the earth pony to reach him and kick him, successfully this time, on the chest, the din of the pony's horseshoes on the Lunar Guardsman's armor sounding like a bell. Raegdan was launched back, once more lying down on the earth. A shadow appeared on top of him and he frantically rolled to his side, barely avoiding impalement by the pegasus that was back in the fight.

While the mare was trying to unstuck herself, he used the break to try and get back on his feet.

The unicorn launched another high powered magic beam. This time he aimed high enough that all that Raegdan could do to avoid it was fall down on his hand and knees in a smooth, fast action. Unfortunately, that was the moment that the unicorn's teammate was waiting for. While Raegdan was in no position to dodge, the earth pony swung his pickaxe, piercing Raegdan's armor at the side, the blade shoved deep inside before it was pulled out again, blood rushing along as Raegdan's roar of agony reached them. The pegasus followed suit, flying frighteningly fast and landing her blades on his hastily raised shield. There was another shout of pain.

Raegdan violently pushed the mare off his shield and frantically staggered back to gain some distance. Rainbow could see blood dripping from behind his shield. One of the blades had ripped through his arm. He fought back to his legs. He looked to be in pain, bent over his middle, as he backpedalled away. Red shined bright against the dark backdrop of his armor.

Twilight could take no more. "Princess Luna, stop this. He is seriously hurt."

Luna kept staring at the fight. "Not before he starts fighting like he is supposed to. He is holding back. He needs to let his viciousness out," she bared her teeth in a psychotic smile, "and those fools just pushed enough to get his head back into the game."

Raegdan's stance changed. Where he was balancing himself carefully and waiting for his opponents move, he now stood straight, almost defiant. He held his hammer at his side, casually, his shield also hanging at his other side. Rainbow felt a shiver up her spine as she saw the difference. It was just like yesterday. The Raegdan that was fighting up until now was Twilight's and Spike's dad. The one who laughed and joked and listened to their stories.

The one that was standing in the arena now was the one who threatened Celestia and pinned Pinkie and Rainbow to the wall. This one didn't care what injuries he received. He only cared about what injuries he could _inflict_.

He charged forward, his shield held like a battering ram before him, his pain seemingly gone. He roared a word in his alien language, the two syllables merging into each other, smoother than any Equestrian word ever did, filled with more emotion that could possibly be contained in a single utterance, promising pain and retribution.

The pegasus took flight, avoiding him by going up. The earth pony ran forward to meet him.

Raegdan kicked. His unexpected armored boot rose up behind the cover of his shield and smashed the stallion's muzzle, covering his face in blood from his mouth and nose.

The unicorn shot another beam. Raegdan saw it coming but remained still.

And everypony watched disbelievingly as he boldly lowered his shield and took the beam straight to his chest.

Nothing happened. Like, at all. There was no smoke, no hole, no nothing! Rainbow couldn't believe her eyes. She _saw_ that beam make craters and now it just… what the hay?

Raegdan turned away from the stunned unicorn and the still fallen, dazed earth pony. He looked at the skies, searching for the pegasus. He spotted her flying above, waiting for her chance. She only had to be patient. Raegdan had no way to reach up there.

Raegdan seemed to come to the same conclusion. He turned his back to her… and the next instant his shield was flying towards the Solar Guard above him.

She tried to avoid it. She could have done it if she wasn't just hovering in place, something that Rainbow considered an arrogant choice of action for a trained guard, and without the momentum of actual flying she didn't have the speed to move. The shield's spinning edge hit her with a loud crack and she crashed down.

Raegdan took his chance to take his most agile opponent out of the fight. He ran towards her and before she could regain her footing he jumped in the air.

And landed with all his combined weight, using his knees, on her wings, snapping them with crack that echoed across the arena, causing the crowd to call out their dismay at the brutal takedown. The mare was screaming in agony beneath him. He took his time getting up, viciously grinding his knees repeatedly against the broken bones. He was crushing her wings! Rainbow's jaw fell down looking at the blood pooling around her.

A loud, challenging shout made him turn. The earth pony had regained his senses and charged at Raegdan, no longer able to hold his weapon in his dislocated jaw but still willing to fight.

It was not surprising in hindsight that Raegdan had not used his hammer so far at all in this fight. Rainbow believed it was the greatest act of mercy from him considering what followed. A mercy that had ran out when his blood started flowing down his side.

He lifted his hammer up and to his side, the handle held across his body. And when the stallion got close enough he struck.

Raegdan had thrown the stone harder than anypony she had ever thought could. He threw his shield so fast and aimed so accurately that she believed the mare had broken ribs.

It all paled before the strength with which he brought the hammer across his other side.

His strange body once again coordinated in a single strike. The legs pushed the earth. The torso twisted. The shoulders flexed and the arm whipped around. The combined force of all of his muscles working in tandem united with the heavy weight on the solid hammer in one single hit.

The stallion was launched sideways. One of his forelegs got in the way of the hammerhead and it shattered like dry twig. His ribcage caved in. He landed with another of his legs leading the way, snapping as he crashed and slid on the dirt. Over where the Guards family members sat, there was a loud shriek.

The unicorn tried another spell. Rainbow guessed he tried to knock Raegdan back, but the only thing that moved was dirt and dust around him. He then switched to some kind of forcefield. Raegdan laughed, mocking him. He reached forward and waved his hand through it.

Rainbow was no unicorn but she was preeetty sure you are not supposed to be able to do that.

The Solar unicorn tried something else. His horn glow intensified and lightning crackled and replaced the magic shield.

The effect was instantaneous. Raegdan was shocked and screamed in pain. His spasming hand dropped his weapon. He pulled his arm back, cradling it in pain as he examined the newly enchanted electric field. The unicorn smirked and slowly started moving forwards, his efforts focused on keeping up his spell.

Raegdan seemed to be out of options to Rainbow. He had no way to go through the spell and he was slowly getting pushed to the wall. There was nothing he could do to reach the unicorn before he ran out of space to retreat and the spell was all over him.

Of course, Rainbow believed so because, apparently, she was a sane mare.

Raegdan kept walking backwards. When he got close enough he quickly bent down and grabbed the only projectile he had left.

The fallen pegasus mare with the broken wings.

He brought her up over his head and with all his strength he threw her at her disbelieving unicorn teammate. She screamed in pain when she passed through the electrified field of magic and nearly tore her vocal chords out when she crashed on Raegdan's target.

Raegdan followed quickly behind her. He didn't bother retrieving his hammer. He pushed the mare off the unicorn with a kick and started stomping the unicorn stallion. He didn't differentiate between head, body or limbs. Everything was fair game. Again and again he kicked and trampled, pushing himself to crush everything in reach, blood oozing out of his opponents face, bones and ribs shattering audibly in the stunned silence.

"Enough!" shouted Princess Celestia. "I announce Raegdan as the victor of this match. Now get those ponies to medical help, hurry."

Luna flew to Raegdan as medics swarmed around the fallen Solar Guards. In the reigning silence she landed in front of him and his stance relaxed, slouching in pain. Luna grinned and jumped at him. He grabbed her and brought her up to his shoulder, making a seat for her out of his bent arm.

"Who are we?" shouted Luna.

"The Lunar Guard," both Raegdan and Luna shouted in unison.

"What do we do?"

"We kick ass."

"Who are they?"

"The Solar Guard."

"What do they do?"

"They are the ass!" they finished and Raegdan started bouncing Luna up and down while she cheered and Raegdan waved with his bloody arm. Ponies all around were starting to unsurely clap, most of them still stunned by the savage display they witnessed.

Spike was looking frightened at the pair celebrating their victory at the arena. "I don't think I like Princess Luna and dad spending time together."

"Yeah, I don't think I do either, Spike," Twilight agreed.

Down on the ground, the earth pony Solar Guard was declared dead. Two ponies in the stands that were crying and trying to jump down to him were held back by others around them.

Rainbow didn't want to watch any more matches.


	5. Ch05 - ending it bitter

Rainbow had never been squeamish at the sight of blood. She would be in the wrong line of work if she was. When performing a brand new trick for the first time -or second or third- crash downs were a regularity and she would often cut and bruise herself.

Applejack was the same, for similar reasons. Working on a farm with hard physical labor sometimes translated to accidents. Rainbow and Applejack would often be the one to patch up each other when either of them needed help but didn't feel like going to the hospital. Which in the case of them both meant almost always.

Rainbow didn't really have anything against hospitals. But come on! She doesn't need to have every little bruise checked out. Every check-in so far had been a whole day's waste for her, half of it just reciting every small nick and cut she had received in the last week. It was major boredom and endless lecture from doctors and nurses. What the hay is masochitisminisiwhatever supposed to mean anyway?

Fluttershy, contrary to what ponies would think, could face any injury without the slightest flinch, excluding her bouts of worrying. Being an animal lover that lives at the edge of the Everfree Forest meant she had seen the end results of many animal fights. Broken bones, bites, deep cuts, you name it, she would just hum comfortingly over it as she examined it casually. Rainbow always thought that was awesome.

Rarity didn't have the same fortitude like the rest of them, but after finishing the drama queen part she was practical about it. Something about "sharp implements of pain" she mumbled. Rainbow always suspected the prim white unicorn had a hidden wild side, but she never would have guessed BDSM. Live and learn, huh?

Pinkie Pie found the sight of blood -or any wound, no matter the size- gross and nasty. Which, since this is Pinkie we are talking about, meant she glued her eyes to the sight, mixing oohs and ews over it, making constant remarks in her random way.

The great surprise after the revelations of the last couple of days was Twilight. She had been practically raised by the most violent guy Rainbow had ever met and according to their stories she had caught bits and pieces of his fights first hoof -although, apparently he was responsible enough to order Twilight and Spike away when he had the presence of mind or, more often, drag his victim out of sight.

Spike handled himself fine if it wasn't something serious at least. But Twilight couldn't even make herself look at blood if she had the choice. And, whoo, boy, Raegdan was really covered in the red stuff under his armor.

Raegdan had apparently figured Twilight out a long time ago and that was why the first thing he did after his armor was taken off and had sat down was to lift her like a filly and cradle her to his right side, facing her away from the cleanup that was performed on him. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie called the way she huddled against him, with his arm pulled like a blanket over her chest, "super adorable". Mmm, yeah, maybe it kind of was, Rainbow secretly agreed.

The sudden switch from violence to fawning over Twilight and Spike kept throwing Rainbow out of a loop. It was sweet, sure, but… Rainbow rattled her head to bring out the thought that was forming inside her. It was like… like…

He expected every time to be the last time he saw them.

Princess Celestia had called for a break in the Tournament. Severe injuries were nowhere near unusual, but they couldn't just continue straight after a pony died.

Luna and Raegdan had retreated -though most would say paraded- back to Luna's tower. Twilight and Spike ran after them and the rest of them followed. Luna brought Raegdan into her own bedroom and had them help him remove his armor so they could tend to his wounds.

Most of them tried to convince them he should go to the castle's infirmary instead, but Raegdan refused on the grounds that he would not be a welcome sight at the moment. So, it fell to them to make sure that somepony, whose body they knew nothing about, would not fall over dead on their watch. Fun stuff. Luckily, all Rainbow had to do was pass the bandages.

Luna and Fluttershy both examined Raegdan's pierced side that was obviously the most serious injury he received. Fortunately, his armor did its work and stopped the pick from digging in too deep and with too much force, though it left his flesh ragged and bleeding profusely. Fluttershy feared there was internal damage, but Luna dismissed her concern, claiming greater familiarity with his body. Raegdan may have been acting cool and reserved, but Rainbow saw how he relaxed after Luna's assessment.

"I need better armor," he told Luna that was examining the hole at his armor's side.

"It was the best we could do at the time," she answered. "We need to have one either properly forged or get our hooves on better quality metal. The large amount of shaping spells weakened the metal and I cannot increase thickness without it ending a brittle mess. I hoped you would face blades anyway, not armor piercing weaponry." She dropped the piece she was holding back to the ground.

"A longer handled weapon would be nice too."

Luna snorted with amusement. "You did well enough with a pony fitted hammer. But, indeed. We will need proper equipment. I am more concerned with your performance."

"Ah. Yeah, I made some mistakes there, didn't I?"

"That's an understatement," she told him severely. "I will let the bungle of your initial hesitance to actually strike back slip aside. Your blood on my bedspread says enough. But the way you actually disarmed yourself on your own… I am trying to find the words, but the only ones I can think of are not to be used in mixed company." Raegdan winced at Luna's criticism. "You got underestimated, like we hoped," she continued judging, "but now everypony knows what you are capable of. More blunders like today's are unacceptable. Hrmf, you got bruised too much. Your kind's armor needs more padding than we thought underneath, it seems."

Applejack had been sent to retrieve a bag of Raegdan's blood that Luna kept stored in another room in her chambers along with tubing and needles. Turns out that if you keep fighting and then jump around while carrying an Alicorn is not so good for keeping blood in the inside when you have a couple of holes in you. Raegdan had trouble climbing the stairs up the tower even with Luna's help.

Rarity, to her dismay and Rainbow's eternal amusement, had been selected, in honor of her seamstress skills, to stitch him together. Rainbow watched like a hawk, enjoying the way she gulped every time she threaded the needle through Raegdan's flesh and waited to see if she would try to stitch her monogram after she finished.

His left arm had been less serious if only because his armor and stiff padding under it had been able to hold it tight enough to keep him from bleeding out. The unorthodox hoofblade hadn't managed to cut completely all the way through, but it left a great gashing hole and cut veins. Raegdan had been able to hastily tighten his arm brace at some point and that was probably the only reason he hadn't fainted from blood loss yet. Luna held it closed and wrapped some gauze around it until Rarity could turn her attention to it.

Fluttershy and Spike were rubbing a salve over his bruises. The earth pony's kick had resulted in the entirety of his chest becoming blue and landing on his back didn't help either.

They all worked silently. Rainbow and her friends weren't keen on starting a morbid discussion about what happened in the tournament. The way Raegdan and Luna kept grinning at each other, drunk in their own victory, wasn't a great motivator to do so anyway. None of them were eager to hear their feelings about the outcome.

Princess Celestia had a different mindset.

The bedroom door was kicked open and an angry Princess marched in while Rarity was applying the last stitches on Raegdan's arm.

Rainbow had never seen the Princess angry before. Celestia's eyes were glaring at Raegdan, eyelids half closed and her lips were stern. Her mane didn't move like it used to, in those gentle waves it was known for, but seemed to spread and whip around like a flame. Rainbow could see her wing muscles tremble from the effort she put to hold them in place rather than spread them open in an instinctual act of intimidation.

Rainbow Dash and the rest of the girls moved slightly, opening a path between the angry Alicorn and her apathetic target.

"Celestia," Raegdan with a cheery smile inclined his head at her, incredibly unaware of her mood, both arms too busy to move like they usually did when talking. "You came to celebrate victory with us? We are kinda busy at the moment, patching my sorry as- self up, but when we are done I thought we might go and raid your wine cellar! How long has it been since you got wast-"

"A pony is dead," she interrupted him.

Raegdan faltered. "I… noticed? I don't get it, I thought we won." He scooted along the bed, leaving Twilight behind him, and sat on the edge.

"Is there a problem?" he said, looking curious.

Celestia's eyes widened in disbelief. Rainbow herself could not comprehend the sheer callousness of those words.

Celestia walked forward till her face was only centimeters away from him, Raegdan unflinching before her stern gaze. They stood still, measuring themselves against each other.

And then Celestia slapped him with her golden horseshoe, hard enough for the metal to break his skin.

"There is a family down there right now," she hissed, "crying over the corpse of what used to be a loving father and husband. You tore a family apart today and all you have to say for yourself is "is there a problem?" Should I bring his widow up here so you can repeat that to her? Or maybe his orphan? **_What_** in heaven's name were the two of you thinking? You were practically celebrating on top of his body! I have seen many things, but such sheer cruelty was just..." she looked at her audience for a couple of second before turning back to the cause of her anger. "We are going to talk about this, _in detail_ , later."

Everypony lowered their eyes. Fluttershy and Pinkie were tearing up, side by side. Raegdan spent a few seconds looking at the blood he wiped from his cheek.

"I see your problem," he told her, "things didn't go well today. Finally had a change of mind and decided it would have been so much better if it was my fuc- my corpse down there instead, right?"

Celestia inhaled sharply. Behind Raegdan, Twilight and Spike gasped in horror.

"I never said that, you complete idiot. Stop trying to get out of this by twisting the meaning of my words, Raegdan. You killed a pony and put two others in critical condition. Leaf Stream will never fly again with the damage you caused to her wings. You are lucky Steadfast Ray claimed responsibility for today's events." Rainbow shuddered. She had hoped it wasn't so bad. Losing her flight… what was left for a pegasus without the sky?

"You know, it just came to my attention that _you_ are being rude," Raegdan changed the topic with sudden hostility.

"What are you trying to do now?"

"I might be wrong because I am an uncultured, stupid, savage monster, but isn't it considered good manners to ask after someone's health when he has been hurt?" he asked sarcastically.

Celestia huffed. "You are fine. We both know it takes a lot more than that to kill you."

Raegdan agreed with her. "Yes. I have taken worse, you would certainly know how much. But how much more can I take, really?" He pointed at the stitched hole at his side. "Somehow, I doubt those ponies knew about what kind of damage I can survive or where my vital organs are located. Take a good look Celestia. What do you think would have happened if that blade landed higher? Would it have pierced just a lung or was it long enough to hit my heart? What about a bit deeper or sideways? Is dying by perforated intestines and stomach as painful for ponies as it is for my kind? Keep in mind, of course, that I can't rely on your magic painkillers."

"If you are implying, after everything, that I don't care-"

"I am saying that I didn't pull my punches. But neither did they."

Celestia kicked the ground, her anger returned. "You _knew_ from the beginning they would try to really hurt you, Raegdan! They dedicate themselves to my protection and they have seen you try to kill me twice." Hold on, did she just _say-_

"I've warned you to stay away from them, again and again. How much longer can I protect you from your own actions? How many more of my ponies do I allow to be hurt because you are my friend? Where do I draw the line? You could have stopped this anytime, I foolishly trusted you to do the _right_ thing for once, and you did not!"

"I did stop it!" he shouted, "it was three against one and they still wanted to play hard. Well, I gave them what they fu- damn wanted. It was the only way it could have ended."

Celestia shoved her face to his, the beginning of tears in her eyes, her forehead almost touching his. "You just can't understand, can you? It could have ended otherwise. I let it go on, and I am to blame for it as well, because even then I kept hope that you would not sacrifice my faith in you, once again, over a meaningless fight! I know what you have been through, Raegdan. I know you could hardly be blamed for what you had to turn yourself into. I have shown patience for years, forgiven crimes done in ignorance, and allowed you freedom. If not for Twilight and the lives your gifts have saved, then because of our friendship and I selfishly couldn't lose that, despite all the pain and beatings you personally delivered to my subjects. But I don't have much patience left, nor can I keep granting favors to keep ponies from demanding your head. Not when all your promises to control yourself prove false time after time."

"They tried to kill me first if you-"

"I know, I am not blind! This is not about whether or not you were justified in your actions to defend yourself. If something like this had happened at any other time, I would be supporting you wholeheartedly. But this was not a life or death situation. You could have refused to fight against three of them. You could have surrendered. You could have called for a stop when you got hit. You could have been less _you_! Nopony had to die. Your actions are not excused this time, not when you had options left."

She pulled back. Raegdan leaned back on his right elbow, half lying on the mattress.

"I could have surrendered," he mused darkly. "An interesting notion. But that was not going to happen, Celestia. Either I came out of there with a win or I died. _Those_ were my options."

"You conceited, sadistic, prideful-"

"Would you like to know why?" he interrupted her with a wide smile, as if everything was forgotten and he had something very interesting to share. To Rainbow, he looked like Rarity when she had a straight flush at poker.

Celestia waited for him to make his point.

"Pinkie Pie, come over here, please," he beckoned. Pinkie came to his side and sat next to his legs. "Now, Pinkie, I want you to do something for me."

"Point at the Princess," he said.

Pinkie Pie blinked and exchanged a confused look with the rest of them. Slowly, she lifted her hoof to point at Celestia.

"Still trying to dodge the issue. What is your point this time, Raegdan?" Celestia asked, her anger still evident in her voice.

"Oh, nothing much," he answered, patting Pinkie Pie's head. "Just drawing attention to the fact that she unthinkingly pointed at you when there are actually _two_ Princesses in the room."

They all turned their head to look at Luna who sat silent next to the bed, completely forgotten, watching them passively.

"Funny how not even you thought about that."

"Luna is my little sister! Just because that stupid misdirection caught me off gu-"

Suddenly enraged, Raegdan got up and pushed Celestia back with one of his arms. "Maybe you should think of her less as your little sister and more as your equal! Maybe you should stop taking for granted that others have your-"

Luna put a sudden stop to him with a lifted hoof. "That is far enough, Raegdan."

Raegdan sat back down, his eyes filled with scorn as he looked at Celestia. His lips were pulled back and he was gritting his teeth. Rainbow was reminded of Timber Wolves.

Celestia turned to her sister. "Luna, we are a Diarchy, despite Raegdan's attempts to get me sidetracked. What is mine is yours. There is no need to-"

"Did you notice any guards outside _my_ chambers, sister?" Luna asked.

"I- what?"

"Your guards will not accept my orders," Luna said, anger in her voice, "they might bow and call me their Princess, but at the end of the day nothing will be done of what I asked. By anypony. My doors are left unguarded. My rooms left uncleaned. If I wish to eat I have to personally visit the kitchens and wait for my meal or it will be "lost in the bustle". The treasury will not release funds to me unless they get a direct order from you. I am not a Diarch here, sister. I'm just an unwanted guest."

Celestia was visibly shocked, the last remains of her anger evaporating. "Luna, if you had told me before I-"

"You would have done what, sister? Order them to obey? Is any authority I am going to have only because you ordered it so?" Luna said bitterly.

She jumped on her bed and sat next to the still fuming Raegdan. "Raegdan has been the only one to unquestioningly stand by my side since my return. A complete stranger to our land has been more accepting of me than our own subjects. He has been doing everything in his power to aid me and you saw the result in the tournament. Jeering and insults. If you wish to punish him for today's events, then let me tell you that you **can't**. He is under my command and I rule today as an accident in the heat of battle. Overrule me on this and you will have to admit that the so called Diarchy, is a farce. "

"I need ponies by my side if my plans to prove myself as a Princess are going to work, sister, not you having to approve to the maids my request for tea. I need the unmitigated loyalty of a Lunar Guard."

Rainbow had to point out the flaw in that. "Uhh… sorry Princess, but… one guy is not really much of a guard, is it?"

"There will be more," Luna insisted, "especially after today. There are ponies who will wish to reach their full potential. They will come to us. There are ponies who will see the desperate need we have of more members. They will come to us. We have proven we are just as good, nay, better, than the Solar Guard and ponies will cling to that."

"Or you might get ponies who will come to you because of the violence Raegdan portrayed," Celestia pointed out. "What about those?"

"I will have them too. They will be shaped like clay and proper use will be made of them. Between Raegdan and I, we will forge out of all of them an effective military force."

To Rainbow, this sounded rather dodgy. It looked like Luna planned to give permission to put the fear of her in her subjects, and considering who her first guard was, she had an inkling of how they would go about that. Did Celestia really feel so guilty for her sister that she would allow that?

If Luna thought she would be able to turn that fear into loyalty, she was off her rocker. How would you convince somepony to trust his former bully? Rainbow still hadn't forgiven Gilda and she had been her friend, not her victim.

"Why?" Celestia cried out, "what do you want soldiers for, Luna? What is this vaunted plan of yours?"

"What do we have the Guard for, sister?"

"To keep the peace," Celestia professed, "to keep our ponies safe. Not to endanger them and hurt them."

"Then they are unfit for what we need. Soldiers are used to fight. To kill. To remove threats. How many monsters roam our countryside, Celestia? Ponyville is but a stone's throw from Canterlot and even approaching Everfree's edge is a gamble."

"Ponyville is protected just fine," Celestia said, her eyes running over Twilight and the rest of them. Heck yeah, Ponyville _is_ protected. Rainbow's chest puffed with pride.

Raegdan was not happy with the answer. He moved to stand up again and was held back by a single hoof gesture from Luna.

"Others do not have this protection. I plan to create a proactive force. You have been Equestria's wisdom and morality. I cannot be that, not anymore. So I will be its sword and," she chuckled, nodding towards Raegdan, "shield."

Celestia sighed, finally dropping down on the carpeted floor. "You are imagining a non existing threat or underestimating our ponies. I am not sure which, Luna. When the need calls, the Guard answers. The Solar Guards often engage those missions themselves when I take a personal interest." Celestia glared at Raegdan once more. "Ask your friend, maybe. He can tell you about that."

"He has," Luna answered with no pause, "and that is why we intend on that course. Once we have a solid force, our efforts will begin. I am sorry, sister, but today was the best chance we had to prove our worth."

"Prove your worth? Did those poor ponies have to pay that price for the Lunar Guard to prove its worth? Did Raegdan have to kill and maim them? Did you have to perform those horrid actions?" asked Celestia sorrowful.

"There was no need for anypony to die, sister," Luna answered her.

"Yes," Raegdan growled, "they could have surrendered."

* * *

Celestia decided to table the discussion for later, when both sisters were in calmer spirits. Raegdan insisted there was no need for a discussion and according to her own words Luna had the authority to do as she damn well pleased as long as they weren't breaking their own laws. Both Luna and Celestia ordered him to shut up.

Princess Celestia left, deeply disillusioned with both of them. She… she wasn't the only one.

Twilight waited until Princess Celestia was surely gone before asking. "You tried to kill Princess Celestia?"

Raegdan was still angry and he didn't seem to be able to calm himself down, no matter how he tried. "Twice," he spat.

"Why?" Twilight wailed.

"Why does someone attack one who commands an army, moves the sun, and is stronger, faster and can burn him to cinders with a thought?" He grinned. "I got jealous of her room. She has a bigger bed."

"This is not a joke!" Twilight screamed in rage. "Things are obviously worse than I thought. Worse than you ever told me. What have you done, Raegdan? Are you really feeling no guilt for what you did today?"

"Those are heavy questions, little one," he chuckled. "Ok, fine. You are a big girl now." He turned to address Spike. "Little flame, go to your room."

"What? No, I want to stay," the young dragon whined.

"Please leave, young dragon. You have already been party to too much for one so young, even for someone of your heritance. It has been foolish of us to allow you to linger for so long," Luna supported Raegdan's order.

Raegdan waited for a grumbling Spike to leave Luna's rooms before answering Twilight's questions with barely contained anger.

"I've done some things that you do not know about. That you will never be told about. Some of the Guard knows. The Solars know. Celestia knows. Luna knows. But if I have my way, you will _never_ know. I have my differences with Celestia at the moment, but I am thankful to her beyond words for keeping it a state secret from everyone else."

Applejack popped the question in their minds. "What could you have possibly done that was worse than killing somepony?"

Raegdan didn't answer immediately. He just looked sad and turned his face away from Applejack. "Something pretty similar to today, in a way. I have done worse things in my life, but not here."

Rainbow cursed her mouth. Why did even her tongue have to be faster than her brain? "What's the worst thing you have done?" Oh, she did not just ask that, somepony tell her she just thought that…

"RAINBOW!" Ah, shoot, judging by Rarity's tone that was not to be.

Raegdan scratched his chin, depression and regret all over his face. He was actually going to answer her? Should she cover her ears? She wasn't sure about hearing what he considered-

"I tripped a little girl once, on purpose." What? What kind of answer was that? Should she ask him for more details? Uh oh, Rarity was looking at Rainbow's way and the way she smoldered said no.

"You haven't answered Twilight's second question yet, Raegdan." Luna, of all ponies in the room, brought them back on track, her posture screaming resignation.

"Fine." He leaned against the bedhead, defeated. "I don't. It just doesn't register, I think. Not him, not his family, nothing. I told the truth to Celestia. "Is there a problem?". She is right. Right about everything. I screwed up today, we both did. It was not supposed to be this way. Poor Celestia just wants us to feel guilt for this, at least. Have some empathy. But, compared to everything else, what's so bad about the clean death of someone we don't know? I was alive, he wasn't but I was, and it felt amazing. I know it sounds monstrous. It is. But…"

"I am sorry, little one, I am so sorry. I am trying my best, I swear."

* * *

...when it blows, it's really gonna blow hard, won't it?

Rainbow got up from her bed. It was useless. She spent half an hour on that darn thing and all she managed to do was make a mess out of it with all her tossing and turning. The sweet nap she craved was out of reach.

She knew what the problem was. She couldn't get today's fight out of her mind and she couldn't stop thinking about Nightmare Moon.

They had been lucky, Rainbow knew. Nightmare Moon could have crushed them at any point, but she didn't even take them seriously until it was too late. Discord had done the same, but the Spirit of Chaos took nothing seriously. Nightmare Moon was a different mare however. If she had truly thought of them as a threat… Rainbow gulped.

She was brutal in the stories. She made sure that nopony would even think of challenging her by spreading terror the likes of which had never been seen. There were tales about ponies who refused to sleep by the thousands, the nightmares she unleashed terrorising them to death. Ponies she caught that would be found later in flayed pieces. Monsters she commanded that would obey her every whim, hurting everypony they got their claws on. Rainbow's childhood was full of nights huddling under her covers after hearing or reading that stuff.

And it seemed to Rainbow that there were too many similarities between those stories and what Luna wanted to start doing right now.

That fight… she felt sorry for the dead stallion and his family, but that could be attributed to sheer accident. It happened. A hit too hard or at the wrong place and _BAM_ , it could end for you right were fighting with real weapons and the Solars pushed him too far. Raegdan himself practically admitted he could have easily died instead.

What was scaring her most was what he did to that pegasus. He could have taken her out of the fight with so many ways. A simple knockout would be so easy. Instead… instead he casually did the cruelest thing she could imagine. She had been too far away, but she almost believed she could hear the bones shattering and slashing through the mare's flesh as he did his best to pulverize her wings in the short time he had. And he didn't care at all. He admitted he should be feeling guilt for the dead, but he had completely forgotten about her during his "apology". It didn't even manage to stick in his mind. He regretted that he was like this, and it felt like it should count for something, but…

Raegdan was starting to scare her, she admitted to herself. And she certainly didn't want to see what he would do if given actual provocation. Or orders. Because if Luna ordered him to do something questionable, Rainbow knew that he wouldn't flinch from doing it. She felt her throat. How strong were those fingers of his? How hard would it be for him to break her neck?

Let's face facts. Luna, like Nightmare Moon, already had one monster under her command now, didn't she? Celestia obviously had no control over Raegdan, if she ever did, and he felt no guilt or remorse for his actions. All he cared about was Twilight and Spike, and they couldn't be around him all the time, or temper him down all that much. Luna might not be Nightmare Moon anymore but her screws were just as loose. And who could keep _her_ under control if she went off the deep end again? Rainbow didn't want to have to face Nightmare Moon again. She was certain, that if they did, this time she would play for keeps.

Rainbow needed someone to talk with, share her thoughts, and have them laughed off like the silly ideas they were. Ok, not laughed off, that wouldn't be cool, but…

She went off to find Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was not in her room. In Rarity's room she found the unicorn nodding to whatever Pinkie Pie was talking about, her attention clearly somewhere where there was no unending prattle, by the glaze of her eyes. Rainbow was heading to ask Applejack if she saw her when she saw Fluttershy coming out of Twilight's room.

"Hey Flutters," Rainbow greeted her oldest friend.

"Oh, um, hello Rainbow," Fluttershy answered. Rainbow had accepted Fluttershy's timidness as a fact of life by now. It still kille- hurt her a little on the inside however whenever she acted like that to her even when they were alone.

"Were you talking to Twilight?"

"She actually spent more time talking to me. She… needed to vent a few things." Fluttershy was quiet and moved away from Twilight's door, leading Rainbow to her own room.

"Like what?" Rainbow asked, genuinely interested.

Fluttershy waited until they were in Rainbow's room before speaking. "She is afraid about Raegdan."

Rainbow snorted. "I think she should be afraid for everypony else rather than him."

"That's, um, that's the problem," Fluttershy explained in more detail. "She told me that Raegdan always had problems keeping himself under control. Now that he is actually trained and armed, she is afraid that things will get so bad that Princess Celestia might have to do more than just lock him in a dungeon for a few weeks the next time he loses control."

"Oh. Yeah, that is a disaster waiting to happen isn't it?"

"She is also scared about what Princess Luna and Raegdan have planned."

Rainbow was puzzled. "They… already told us. They want to set up a Lunar Guard like Princess Celestia has and start killing monsters."

"Yes, Rainbow, but… then what? Twilight says that Raegdan is smart in his own way. She described him as furiously impulsive and rash, but if he spends the time to think things through enough he can sometimes figure out things that even Twilight or Celestia might miss. And Luna is an Alicorn like Princess Celestia. They surely have more things in mind than just getting a few ponies on their side like this and try to gain Equestria's respect by going on needless hunts."

"How is going on monster hunts needless? I'll admit, we are doing ok in Ponyville, but it would be nice if we didn't have to worry about Timber Wolves and other nasties prowling too close."

"Princess Celestia gets reports from all over Equestria for everything," Fluttershy informed her, "and Twilight took a look at some of those. Things are calm. Things have been calm for centuries actually. There is the random attack, but nothing that would merit what Luna and Raegdan claim. Oh, I just don't know what to think. I want to believe that they are just desperate for some way to be helpful, but letting them do that seems a bad idea."

Rainbow considered what had kept her awake along with what Fluttershy told her. "Raegdan is mighty pissed at Celestia for some reason, isn't he?" Fluttershy nodded and Rainbow continued, "and Luna… Luna does have some excuses to be moody with her too."

"Right. But one of the things Twilight thought was that… that they might have something more risky planned that what they told us. They might have something bigger in sight than just some loose chimeras… things like Discord."

"No way! Twilight thinks that they want to mess with that guy?"

"Twilight doesn't know what to think!" Fluttershy was almost in tears. "She is driving herself crazy with scenarios. Maybe they plan something involving Raegdan's people, maybe they are going to leave Equestria, maybe they are just grasping at straws for the sake of doing something. She kept going on and on like this. I had to force her to go to bed. I- I don't like using… that on my friends."

Rainbow did not want to have her fears confirmed. She still had to ask. "You don't think... Twilight didn't say anything about… Nightmare Moon or something?"

Fluttershy smiled relieved. "No, thank goodness. She says Nightmare Moon was gone for good when we used the Elements. Luna was basically stripped completely of her magic for weeks. No magic entity can survive that."

"That's good enough for me," Rainbow said in relief before jumping back on her bed, her major fear now debunked, and almost ready for an afternoon power-nap. She tired herself with worries long enough. As long as they didn't have to deal with Equestria's greatest terror they would manage. What was she thinking? She had faith in her friends. Twilight would find a way to keep Raegdan in check. Princess Celestia would find some way to reason with Luna. Fluttershy would find her own way to the door. Although…

"Hey, what time are we having dinner with them, again?"

* * *

"You have to be kidding me, Twilight! What kind of crazies have dinner at midnight?" Rainbow griped.

"Apparently, Luna is more of a nocturnal pony and she and Raegdan tend to stay up for a big part of the night…" Twilight said apologetically. "They really wrecked their sleeping schedule to accommodate us yesterday, I think. I couldn't ask them to do more than they have already."

They climbed up the empty tower, the absence of guards making itself painfully clear now, and walked through Luna's unguarded doors. Applejack scoffed, sounding amused, as they did for some reason. There was nopony there to welcome them in.

"Maybe we should just shout out for them?" suggested Rainbow.

"Rainbow," Rarity objected, "one does not simply call out for their host in their own home."

"We do that all the time when we go to Twilight's."

"No, _you_ do that all the time. I won't have you yelling like a yokel inside a Princess' personal chambers."

Applejack patted Rarity on the shoulder to get her attention. "This here yokel would like to know how y'all planning to find the Princess then. Unless it's all fine and dandy to snoop around when in high society."

"That would be very rude," agreed Fluttershy, causing Pinkie to guiltily close the drawer she was opening and get back to her place next to Rarity.

"Well, they are probably in the dining room, waiting for us. We will just knock on the door and if they are inside, they will answer us," Rarity said with a flourish of her mane.

"Ok, Rares. Nice plan," Applejack complimented her.

"Why, thank you, Applejack."

"Which door leads to the dining room then?"

Rarity's face fell. "Oh, uh… it's probably…"

Twilight took the lead. "If those rooms are designed like Princess Celestia's it's probably this one. Come on."

Twilight didn't bother knocking on the door. She just walked inside and called out, breaking both of Rarity's pleads to decorum in one fell swoop.

"Princess Luna? Raegdan? It's us! Are you in here?"

Rainbow wondered if Princess Celestia's rooms were the same as her sister's. The dining room was… small. Oh, they would all fit just fine and have room to spare, but even the guest room where they ate so far was bigger. It was very cozy however, much like the rest of Luna's rooms, and a pair of glass doors led to a large balcony.

Luna and Raegdan were rushing inside the room from there as Rainbow and her friends were making their way through the door.

"We apologize," Luna said. "We lost track of time and forgot about our appointment this night."

"What were you two doing out there?" Spike asked.

"We were just stargazing, little flame. I know it sounds very surprising to hear that we of all people are into that, but- oof." Raegdan stopped his lame joke when Luna used her back leg to kick his shin.

Rainbow supposed that they were both dressed... formally. Luna was in her own regalia as she was during the Tournament. Crown, ebony neckpiece, and crystal shoes. Raegdan wore his repaired armor, which was now probably his official uniform, but without his shield. His helmet hung from his belt, which she now noticed had been supplemented with a couple of long daggers.

Luna asked them to take their seats at the round table, while Raegdan moved to a cabinet and started bringing glasses over along with a bottle of wine. It appeared that there would be no pony waiters tonight, just like Rainbow thought.

Rarity was looking towards the balcony outside, her mouth gaping like one of those fish Fluttershy fed some of her animals. Rainbow tried to see what was so astonishing about it, but all she saw out there was a fluffy blanket discarded on the balcony. Rarity was probably having a heart attack seeing a Princess leaving something lying on the floor.

Rainbow wondered if it would be ok to ask. She had to ask, didn't she? Someone would anyway. "So, uh… what's for dinner?"

Raegdan exchanged a look with Luna. "Wondering where your meal is coming from, Rainbow Dash? It's ok, we get it. Luna made tonight's dinner actually."

Seven pairs of eyes widened and seven heads swiveled towards an amused Princess.

"I am an immortal Alicorn whose life is measured in millennia. Is it so surprising that among all that time I managed to learn how to cook?"

"We are sorry, Princess Luna," Twilight tried to backpedal their reactions, "but we weren't expecting you to spend your time at the Castle's kitchens cooking for us."

"She didn't. We have a kitchen right here," Raegdan said.

"I- what? You have a kitchen in here?"

"It was less of a hassle converting one of the rooms than waiting in front of the kitchens everyday to make sure they actually prepared what we asked for," Raegdan explained.

"Where did you get the appliances and stuff?" Applejack asked.

"I took them from the Castle kitchens," he said. "They have plenty."

"And they just let you move anything you wanted up here?" Twilight said skeptically.

Raegdan chest puffed with pride. "No."

Applejack, Pinkie, and Spike laughed outrageously at his answer. They both acted like nothing happened hours ago. Was this because they wanted to put everything behind them or did neither of them care? Ugh, this "reasoning behaviours" stuff was hard and left her doubting everything. Luna and Raegdan were being- ok, they were total jerks to everypony else, but they treated Rainbow and her friends just fine. She could, at least, rely on that, right?

"Sure, as long as Raegdan knows that you are his kid's friend and Twilight is around, you won't get your wings broken for letting one rip in the same room as Luna," her mind challenged her mental effort to calm herself. Shut up brain, you don't get a vote.

Raegdan left to retrieve their dishes. He returned pushing a trolley filled with closed plate domes and started placing them.

"Ours are the two in front, Raegdan," Luna instructed him.

He nodded and kept serving. After he placed their plates in front of them, he distributed the silverware -Luna seemed to have a special place in her heart for silver- and then poured wine in everypony's glasses.

He did all this while keeping a folded towel across his left arm, with overdone bows after placing each utensil down, which led to some hissing when he pulled at his stitches, and speaking nonsense in a very bad Prench accent. It was done a thousand times before, but seeing Raegdan of all ponies doing that in his intimidating armor was a blast. Rarity even answered him in perfect Prench.

They all waited for him to take his own seat before removing the domes from their plates. Rainbow liked what she found under hers. Steaming soup and salad. It looked simple, but oh gosh, the _smell_ of it! She was practically drooling. Luna was _good_! Forget what she thought before, Luna was best Princess!

She was directing a grin to Twilight that was sitting in front of her so she had a clear view of what happened when Raegdan unveiled his own meal.

Twilight flinched back so hard she almost fell down. Rainbow quickly turned her head to see what the matter was and saw Raegdan, holding the cover still in the air, looking at his meal in front him, frozen still. Rainbow recognized what was in his plate due to her long friendship with Gilda.

Twilight was trying to stammer an apology, but Raegdan was not paying any attention to her. He was looking at Luna who stared back at him with what had at first been a proud, self satisfied expression, slowly turning sour and guilty.

Finally, he picked up his plate and stood up. "Ladies," he said to all of them, "Spike, I'll be at the study. I'll return once I have finished my meal." He didn't wait for anypony to answer. He rushed out as fast as he could walk without running.

"Whoo, boy, awkward…" Rainbow thought to herself. Everypony else seemed to share her thoughts, except Luna. She was staring accusingly at Twilight.

"I can't believe this is what it was about. I am sorely disappointed in you, Twilight Sparkle," she said while taking a sip of her wine.

Poor Twilight was still off her game. She acted like she had no idea what she was actually hearing.

Luna continued to speak, her glass held in the air by her magic. "We have shared so much with each other. But not the reason you _abandoned_ him," she said with venom. "He saved you. He raised you. He bled, suffered, and _stayed_ for you. And was this all it took, Twilight Sparkle? That he eats meat? The simple nature of his species, his diet?"

Luna's stern gaze passed over each of them, judging them. "Does this revelation disturb the rest of you, too?"

Rainbow was the first to speak up and defend herself. "Hey, I used to hang out with a gryphon. I even _tried_ meat once." That had been really yucky actually and up to this day, Rainbow still hadn't figured out how she got herself to do that. She never asked what the meat was from and never wanted to find out.

She pointed at Fluttershy next to her. "And Fluttershy here has taken care of carnivores. I doubt she minds if Raegdan has to eat meat to survive." Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair and mumbled an affirmation. Atta girl! So brave.

Applejack and Rarity were hesitant, but supportive. "It's not like we didn't get the idea that he ate meat from that story he told us yesterday… It would be really weird to see him eating it in front of me, but as long as it ain't one of mah animals or a pony, ah guess that I'm fine with it."

"Indeed. One cannot change his species nature and even now Raegdan acted as a gentleman to accommodate our perceived sensibilities. I would never be so crass as to hold something so small against him. But Rainbow, dear, remember to thoroughly brush your teeth next time, for me?"

"Hey! That was years ago."

"Dragons eat meat," Spike said. "I don't, not yet, but I will have to start at some point."

"I got a pet alligator!" Pinkie Pie chimed. "His name is Gummy and I feed him fish, but he doesn't have teeth yet so I have to cut them in little pieces, but I don't mind cause I love him and I bet Twilight and Spike love Raegdan too and I think you are _wrong_!"

"Am I?" Luna switched her attention back to Twilight. "Your friends have made clear their acceptance, Twilight Sparkle. But what about you?"

Twilight had tears hanging at the edge of her eyes. What's more, Rainbow noticed the subtle shaking and pulsing vein. Uh, oh, Twilight wasn't getting upset. She was getting pissed!

"How dare you? HOW DARE YOU!"

Twilight's magic was crackling around her. Rainbow hoped it was done on purpose. "Raegdan, I think she did pick up a couple of things from you," she thought.

"I have known he was an omnivore since I was eight! I've known about his hunts and I've been down in the dungeons where he does his butchering. And you accuse me of being so shallow? That I would abandon him because he eats meat? What kind of pony do you take me for?" Twilight was enraged!

Luna calmly took another sip, emptying her glass. "I do not know, Twilight Sparkle. Let's find out. Why _did_ you bereave him the company of the two individuals he loved most?"

Twilight's anger deflated. "I- I do not want to talk about this."

"Why did you recoil when you saw meat at his plate?"

"It had… it had nothing to do with… it just- I remembered something."

Spike, his eyes wide and begging, did his best to make Twilight open up. "Come on, Twilight. You can't keep it hidden forever. I lost him for too long already. Don't repeat what happened."

"I won't, Spike. It- it was a silly thing. Just some stupid idea that got into my head and I believed it."

"Maybe it wasn't so stupid if it drove you to such measures, Twilight Sparkle," Luna suggested, calmly. "What idea was that?"

Twilight kept silent, staring at her plate. She was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She would actually do it, Rainbow realized. She was curious, very, very curious, but… maybe now wasn't the right time? Maybe they all had enough revelations today.

"I thought… I believed that… I accused Raegdan that he butchered and ate a pony."

Rainbow was speechless! That- that was a rotten thing to do when Raegdan was nothing but sweet with Twilight herself. Granted, she could almost believe he would do something that far-fetched but for Twilight to say something like this… How did Raegdan just forgive something like that so easily yesterday? It's not like Twilight just broke a vase or something.

Luna seemed to take it in stride. She just refilled her wine glass, calmness all over her face, and removed the dome cover from her plate, letting them see she had the exact meal Raegdan had.

"Right. That was a stupid idea."

Dinner became a quiet affair afterwards. Twilight kept silent and avoided everypony's eyes. Spike kept looking sadly at the empty seat. Luna was concentrating on her meal, expertly cutting small bites and bringing them to her mouth. The rest of them tried to keep from staring… Rainbow was confused. Was this something she should call hardcore or plain disturbing?

Oh thank Celestia, Raegdan finally returned. He placed his empty plate on the trolley and sat down. That was some really fast eating. At least now that he was back they could get rid of the awkward silence. All they needed was something to break the ice.

"So, you ever ate a pony?" she asked him nonchalantly.

Oh, _shoot_ , she did not just- bad brain, bad! Twilight's magic lost the grip on her spoon from the shock. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were gaping at her, not believing what she said. Fluttershy had gone beet red and her eyes were looking somewhere else, probably the safety of her own home. One of Rarity's eyes was twitching. The other promised fire and pain when she had Rainbow in her hoofs.

Raegdan unfroze for his surprise and looked at all of them. "Little one," he said, gulping, "did you-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Twilight was blushing worse that even Fluttershy ever did.

Raegdan, thank her lucky stars, decided to drop it. "Alright. We will- we will ignore that, then."

Despite Rarity's forbidding shake of the head, Rainbow decided to take another shot. "Raegdan, uh, you think you are gonna get in trouble with the Solar Guard now that you- I mean, eh, hehe…". Why? _Why?_ She blamed the lateness of the hour. She was usually asleep by now, that was the problem.

Raegdan didn't seem to mind the topic. He took his glass away from his lips and answered her. "I have been in trouble with the Solar Guard forever. Steadfast has actually been petitioning Celestia to permanently imprison me every few months. Except the last couple of years. He changed his petition to giving me the death penalty instead."

Twilight left her stupor with the aid of sheer outrage. "He has been doing _what_?"

Raegdan waved her down, drinking the rest of his wine and refilling his glass. "Don't mind old Steadfast," he appeased, "he has valid reasons, to speak the truth. He is tremendously devoted to Celestia and considering what I've done… I could almost like him, to be honest. At least, he is being straight in his dislike, but not actually hostile as long as Celestia tugs on his chain and he doesn't give her much trouble. I know what to expect from him."

"Except today," he frowned. He turned to Luna. "I guess the opening there was too tantalising not to take."

Luna grinned. "Hopefully this defeat will keep him in check for a while. We need no further complications."

Rainbow finished her soup. It truly was the best soup she had ever tasted. She would love to ask for seconds, but she wanted to leave, more than she wanted to fill up her stomach. The clanging of more silverware on empty plates followed shortly after. Raegdan rose up once again to gather them on the trolley and wheel them out. He returned soon, bringing a wide tray bearing a tea service and plenty of cups.

"I guess some tea wouldn't go amiss before you leave for bed?" he asked them.

Rainbow would prefer to be on her way, but tea would help her sleep much better, she guessed. She waited for Raegdan to get to filling her cup too.

"Dad," Spike asked, "what are you going to do next? Are you gonna take part in the tournament again tomorrow?"

"Nah. We are done with that for now. Celestia will kick my a- behind if I show up anywhere near, anyway." Luna chortled, thoroughly amused. "I think for now we wait, stay quiet for a while, and see if we can get some recruits, right Luna?"

"Indeed, that is the next step," she concurred. "Barring any exceptional opportunities forcing us to divert our course."

Rainbow reached for the sugar. She hated cream in her tea, but she wanted it as sweet as possible. She frowned. Where was the…

"Pinkie!" she shouted.

The thieving pink pony looked at her all innocent, the area around her mouth covered in white. "What is it, Dashie?"

"Pinkie, did you eat _all_ of the sugar?"

"Sugar is bad for you, Dashie. Rarity said so this morning, remember? I am just looking out for you, like any good friend should."

Rainbow heard Rarity's snickers behind the cover of her hoof on her face.

Luna was addressing her guard. "It was kind of you to prepare this tea, Raegdan. I know you don't really enjoy it yourself." Raegdan answered her, but what he said and any further conversation from them was lost in the loud, droning voice of Pinkie Pie.

"Besides, this wasn't good sugar for tea," Pinkie continued, "somepony mixed confectioner's sugar with it. Let me tell you, it doesn't taste as good in tea as you would think. Or milk. Or chocolate milk. Or…"

There were two simultaneous crashes. Rainbow looked over to see Raegdan had smashed Twilight's and Spike's teacups before they had a chance to take a sip.

Rainbow noticed Pinkie's rant fading behind her head. She couldn't blame her. Was Raegdan finally snapping even at Twilight and Spike? She got up from her seat. He might be armed, but she wouldn't let her friend get hit by any bully no matter who he was. She eyed his side, where the stitches were located.

"Did you drink any of it?" he yelled.

Twilight was staring at the broken shards, confused. "What?"

Spike was extraordinary calm. He was wiping the spilled tea off him with a paper towel. "Kind of hard when it's all over you," he said.

Raegdan let out a deep breath, looking relieved. "Ok. That's good… I think you should all go now."

Applejack wasn't keen on letting this go without an explanation. "What exactly is the problem here, big guy? This tea can't be that bad."

There was a thump behind Rainbow. She turned around to see what Pinkie was up to now, but she wasn't on her seat. She looked down.

Pinkie was lying on the floor, her whole body trembling violently, white, thick saliva drooling from her open mouth.

Rarity and Applejack saw her too and rushed to her side.

"Pinkie!" Rarity was terrified. She tried to hold Pinkie still and move her head to the side.

"What the hay is wrong with her? Twilight, give us a hoof!" Applejack called out.

Before Rainbow could fully turn her attention to her fallen friend she noticed among the pandemonium Raegdan slump in his seat and in a hushed voice say to Luna. "Well, Luna.".

"That's certainly a way to go about it."


	6. Ch06 - An honest day's work

Applejack had spent the day, after the whole deal with the Tournament and Luna's revelations, walking around the castle. There were a couple of points that just didn't stick right with her, and some looking around might give her a few answers. She figured it would be an easy chore she took upon herself. Land sakes, she was walking up and down Sweet Apples Acres all the time when looking for sick trees and other problems. This wouldn't be a thing even worth mentioning about.

What was that sayin' Granny told her once? Pride goeth before fall? Well, she sure as hay didn't fall, but she came close. The darn thing was huge and it had more corridors than a an apple tree had leaves. It wasn't enough that she had decided to walk most of it, no sir, she had to keep getting lost.

She still did it in the end. Sheer Apple stubbornness won the day. What was her prize? The bitter realisation that someponies can't expect to be treated right even in their own home. And that went for both sides of the issue.

She didn't just walk around blindly. Applejack kept her eyes open and her ears… also open. First off, what she heard. Nothing good, that's for darn sure. Ponies were talking about Raegdan and Luna. If that was part of their great plan, well then, whoopee for them. It worked. Ponies were talking. What they said however was a different tale.

Nopony trusted Luna. The main reason was -no surprise there- the whole Nightmare Moon thing. Spend a thousand years being the representation of fear and evil in everypony's heart and they will hold it against ya forever it seems. There were two more recent reasons though.

Reason numbah one; Raegdan. Luna spending all her time with the fella that, from what she gathered, threatened to throttle half the castle inhabitants so far, terrorised the rest and, let's not forget, attacked Princess Celestia, tended to rub ponies off the wrong way. Apparently, Twilight either didn't bother telling them or she didn't know herself, but Raegdan had more control issues than she had thought. She said he only got into major trouble every few months in the past, but that was no longer the case. He'd either go looking for fights with the guards and everypony else or just explode randomly at some perceived slight, scaring the bejeezus out of anypony around. Truth be told, it seemed that if he slipped up some more Celestia will have her hoof forced to do something much more substantial about it.

Reason numbah two; Luna herself. Apparently she was cut from the same cloth as Raegdan. She wouldn't go looking for fights, oh no, she _knew_ where to find them. She would march out to where the guards were training and kick their flanks to the hospital. Her rages were known too. She would explode at times and yell loud enough to drive ponies to the wall. Like, literally, her voice would push a pony until they were stopped by a wall. The provocations were silly things, like Raegdan's was.

Come up behind either of them too quietly and you might get your neck bitten off. Well, maybe they had reasons to be jumpy. They hadn't had quiet lives as far as she could tell. But try to be nice and offer them something to drink or eat and you got it thrown on your face along with some classy death threats. Happen to follow the same path they did behind them? They would turn around and kick your flank. Spend more than a minute in the same room as them? You can guess what happened. And that's how that particular creek flowed...

Funnily enough, those were the exact reasons nopony trusted Raegdan either. It was like a perfect little yin yang thing they had going, only both parts were black.

As for the tournament, nopony was overjoyed over the idea of a Lunar Guard. The guards swore they would be dead before even thinking about joining "a couple of psychos" and everypony else would consider the idea laughable if it wasn't so terrifying.

It was a shame really. Applejack would appreciate somepony trying to get rid of some of the dangerous critters lying around. That was the only part she really applauded of Luna's ideas.

Whelp, that covered the work the furred wonders on top of her head did. As for her peepers now…

She once told Applebloom to mop the house while she was out. Applejack came back later at night, tired as hay and approvingly noticed that Applebloom did a fine job. Then she decided to head for a snack first. After what she saw, she took a gander around the rest of the house. The little rascal had only mopped the path that would take Applejack from the door to her room, banking on her being too tired to actually pay attention to her work.

Same thing happened here. Like Rarity had pointed out to her, the castle was being redecorated so it incorporated images of Luna too. Well, that was a mighty load of horseapples. The only places where that change occurred was the entrance, throne room, and the corridors that led to Celestia's and Luna's respective towers. The rest of the castle was all still pure Celestia and nothing seemed to indicate any attempt to change that.

Now, after all her hard work, she could understand the reasoning ponies had. They had "a couple of psychos" in this here castle, feeding off each other, and now they had to show to one of 'em the same respect they showed to Celestia, the pony who was the epitome of kindness, forgiveness, and all around goodness? On the other hoof… maybe by refusing to act towards Luna, at least, as her sister wanted them to, made the problem worse.

Applejack had concerns. A concerned citizen had to act. She decided to act in the most honored tradition of ponies with a problem with the government. She was gonna complain and demand some answers.

Now, whose ears should she be heading to bite off? This required some thinking from her noggin'. Celestia? If she wasn't doing her best she sure as hay would be doing it now, so no go. Luna? That… would be plain stupid, let's bury this line of thought and never speak of it again. Steadfast Ray? Whoo, boy, that would be a disaster. She could it see it now. "Excuse me there, old trooper, but ah got a complaint. I just plain disagree with the way y'all, Princess Luna, and the guy who just killed one of your men, all treat each other. When can I expect that to be all fixed?" Would he use his fancy unicorn magic to throw her out or was he a traditionalist and just buck her flank out the door, that was the real question.

Talking about Steadfast Ray… there was that one other guy she did just recently hear about…

* * *

"Enter." A young stallion's voice answered Applejack's knock on the door.

She pushed the door open and walked into the office. It was pretty nice, she had to admit. Spacious and large, nice thick carpet that her hooves sank into with a gentle tickle, maps on the wall. Wowsers, he even had a scaled model of Equestria on a table. Hmm, it didn't even have Ponyville on it though. Too small for the important details then. She really digged the family pictures on the back. Showed the fella still had his head on straight about his priorities. Was that tiny filly, Twilight? She looked just darn adorable.

"Can I help you miss… Applejack, was it?" he asked after he gave her enough time to roll her eyes over everything. She looked him over. White coat, blue mane with cyan streaks, pretty eyes, taller than normal, nice muscled bod- he looked nice, that's what she meant.

"Well, hello there, Mr. Shining Armor. Yep, that's mah name, alright. Applejack Apple of Sweet Apple Acres, straight out of Ponyville. You might not know it, seeing it's not on your fancy, little model there-"

"Wait, you are _that_ Applejack?" he said with pleasant surprise. He came around his office and offered a hoofshake. "You are one of Twily's friends! I've wanted to meet with you ever since she wrote us about you. I want to thank you for standing by her side, and everything you girls have gone through saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon and Discord, but mostly for being her friend. Twilight needed some mares of her age in her life."

"Aw shucks, Mr. Shining Armor," she blushed as she returned his nice, strong hoofshake. Twilight's brother didn't just spend most of the day in an office. "We are her friends and we all stick together. That's how we do things in Ponyville."

He laughed excitedly. "Please, call me Shining, Miss. Applejack. The proper term is Captain Armor but this is off limits for Twily's friends!" It was a nice and big honest smile too. She liked him plenty so far.

"As long as you call me just Applejack or AJ then it's a deal." His smile got even wider. Applejack answered it with one of her own.

"So, Applejack, please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Nah, ah'm fine, I swung by the dining hall for some juice before I came here," she told him as she parked her tushy on one of the comfy chairs set on the side. He joined her, sitting on the other one, a small table set among them.

"Is there anything I can help you with or is this just a social visit?"

"I wish I could say it's the latter, but I have things I wanna talk about. Specifically, things that have come up since my friends and I came with Twilight here yesterday."

"Wait, Twilight is IN the castle? As in, right now? Spending time here?" he asked, taken aback.

"You didn't know? I thought she visited her folks yesterday."

"She might have, but I wasn't there. I'm surprised to hear that. We might have to cut this meeting short. There's someone I should let know about this," he said apologetically.

"If you are talking about Raegdan, he knows." Shining's expression spoke wonders. "That's why we came actually. They made up all fine and seem to be chums again."

Shining's relief was palpable. "Oh, good. That's good. That's a load off my chest. You met Raegdan then?" Applejack nodded. "You can guess why I feel like that then. I trust Raegdan, my whole family would trust him with Twilight's life even if he had to face Discord himself, but the last two years have been just unbearable."

"I snooped around the castle a bit and heard some tales. I know a few things. Even about him attacking Princess Celestia. What was up with that anyways?"

Shining inhaled through gritting teeth. "Does Twilight know what happened?"

"Just what I know. He attacked Princess Celestia. Won't tell why. Ah figure it's the usual routine for him."

"Yeah," Shining agreed. "He keeps things very close to his chest. But I agree with him on that, Twilight is better off not knowing why. Can I trust you not to tell her what happened?"

"It depends. If I think it's something she needs to know, I can't promise I'll keep my yap shut," she warned him.

Shining nodded. Apparently, that was good enough for him. "I guess somepony who is spending more time by Twilight's side than me should know a few things more, in case it is needed. Congratulations, you are that somepony now," he finished with a bitter smile.

"One day, he just went berserk. He charged at Princess Celestia with a spear he somehow got in his hands. He was yelling, sometimes in his own language, sometimes in Equestrian. He kept telling the Princess that he wanted her dead. That he would kill everypony he could. That he wouldn't ever stop, no matter what. Pretty scary stuff, huh?"

He had noticed Applejack's shiver. She could picture the tall guy doing that all too well. In her imagination though, he was wearing black armor and held something more substantial than a spear.

"The Solar Guards that were with the Princess tried to keep him off with shields and forcefields, but he just broke through them and barreled over the two guards that tried to stop him. He caught them by surprise, see. They were both unicorns, and by the time they realized their spells hadn't managed to stop him, he was all over them and just smashed their heads against each other, taking them down. Then he reached Princess Celestia and…"

"And?" Don't pause for suspense you stupid colt. This ain't one of your camping horror stories.

"She put him down with a single kick. Launched him all the way across her room. Then he got up and charged again. And again. And again. He just wouldn't stop, like he told her. He did manage to draw some blood, which was quite the feat considering he was a moving mass of blood and bruises by that point."

"Why? What got into him? Why that sudden hate at Princess Celestia? She seemed to like him, most of the time at least. She was not happy at all with him today."

"Princess Celestia does like him, most of the time at least. Raegdan, for all his faults, knew how to treat her. As a normal mare. He never paid attention to her crown. And he likes her too, very much actually. I think he admires her in a way. Don't scoff, I know how he acts against her now. Before the whole thing with Twilight happened, they were acting like a pair of happy parents with Twily and Spike as their foals. No, _not that way_ , more like siblings, they weren't like that. There were bad moments, especially during the first five or six years, but not as bad as the last couple of years. He was getting awfully provoked then, so he gets some leeway as far as I am concerned. It was either by contemptuous fools who thought that neither he or Twilight deserved to be in Princess Celestia's company or just plain morons who didn't pay attention to the giant signs that said "don't buck with this person or this filly"."

"Then, to everypony's surprise, things suddenly calmed down. Ponies laid off him and Twilight was no longer getting harassed by idiots who would get a face full of Raegdan for their troubles. He even became outright approachable to strangers. He just turned and left when he was running out of patience instead of… his usual self."

"A couple of years later, Twilight left him and Raegdan started… breaking down again. I don't know what she did, only the two of them do, but it drove him insane."

Shining Armor took a deep breath. Applejack could tell that he hated this part. "More insane, actually. I like him, but despite everything, he never was in his right mind. He keeps switching from friendly to hateful and from kind of remorseful to utterly uncaring. We hoped that he would mellow back down again when he started being friends with Luna, but no dice. He takes the dislike against her very badly. And she returns the sentiment. It's a conundrum we have. They get worse off each other, but at the same time they keep each other calm when left alone. We have no idea how to handle them, yet, apart from letting them spend as much time as possible away from everypony up on Luna's tower."

Applejack pushed him back to the starting topic. "About why he attacked the Princess…"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Forgive me. I got sidetracked there. So, the Princess was his greatest remaining friend at the time, Twilight having left and Princess Luna still being banished and unknown, and then one day he suddenly hates her and starts spewing death threats against everyone. He attacks and the Princess fights back. Princess Celestia realized what he was doing at the end, and stopped him, but he never forgave her for not doing what she was supposed to."

"I'm confused," she said. "What was the Princess supposed to do?"

"Kill him of course. Raegdan wanted to die. That was a suicide attempt."

* * *

"What the hay is wrong with her? Twilight, give us a hoof!" Applejack called out. Twilight had chosen the darn worst moment to freeze up, but ah gotta give her credit. She shook herself out of it the moment Applejack called out to her.

Pinkie was shaking violently. Rarity was trying to hold her still, so Applejack decided to imitate her unicorn friend and give her a hoof. It was hard. Her legs were going all over the place and she started to bounce her head all around, knocking it hard against the floor. Fluttershy rushed over and tried to keep Pinkie from giving herself a concussion.

"Come on, Twilight. What is wrong? What do we do?" she called out. Twilight was examining Pinkie, her stance betraying the fear she also felt, but she was valiantly holding herself together.

"I.. I am not sure. Seizures, contracted pupils, foaming… I think she's been poisoned!" Twilight announced.

"What?" That was Rainbow. She did a good job in voicing everypony's shock.

Applejack looked back towards the table. She didn't believe her eyes. Rainbow was still on her chair, watching them, but that was ok. Rainbow didn't get in the way if she didn't know what to do in these situations and let other ponies take charge that knew better. It was Raegdan and Luna that made her hair stand on end.

Luna was not even looking towards them. She was sitting as she was before, taking sips of tea and looking straight down in front of her. Raegdan stood next to her, watching her drink from all the cups he had gathered in front of her, keeping them in sight with the edge of his eyes, waiting, patient as you please. Pinkie Pie was poisoned right in front of them! She didn't know what they were trying to accomplish, but this was time for action not… _whatever_ they were doing! Pinkie needed help **_now_**.

"I am going to try a general healing and cleansing spell. It might help," Twilight said and her horn lit, getting ready to cast.

Rarity urged her on. "Quickly, Twilight. We need to settle her down and get her to a doctor." Applejack turned her attention back to the task at hand. She could deal with those two heartless jerks later.

That turned out to be a mistake. There was a clanging sound, metal against wood, and suddenly Raegdan's hand was wrapped around Twilight's horn and pulling, breaking her concentration and the spell she was casting.

Twilight yelled out. "Raegdan, what are you doing? Pinkie needs my help, let me go!"

"Not this kind of help, little one. This is for your own good, trust me!"

Twilight was trying to pull her horn out of his grasp. Spike had jumped on Raegdan's back, shouting to put her down, his little fists banging against his armor. Raegdan was trying to get his arm behind him and grasp the baby dragon without hurting him. Applejack itched to buck him right in his face for doing this now, but Pinkie gave a hard jerk and almost kicked herself in the face. Applejack's inner voice damned her luck to tartarus itself. She couldn't let go of Pinkie, not without risking her hurting herself.

Rainbow Dash now had something she knew she could do. She flew out of her seat, backed off a little to gain distance and then, fast as ever, launched towards Raegdan. Applejack watched as she flipped mid-air and, right as she reached him, used her momentum and strength to hit him with her back legs as hard as she could, right on the spot where the wound on his side was.

"Let my friends _go_ , you monster!" she yelled. Raegdan's face went white with the sudden pain. He lost his grip on Twilight and tried to backhand Rainbow. He was too slow this time and Rainbow was ready for him. She ducked under his arm, kicked his side again and followed it with another kick to his head. Applejack wanted to cheer for her feisty friend!

Both blows landed successfully and now Raegdan was bleeding from the edge of his mouth. Rainbow tried to push again. She turned around for another kick, but Raegdan managed to counter this time. Rainbow took a second too long to twist around and pull her leg back, readying her kick. That was all Raegdan needed. He grabbed Rainbow's back hoof and swung her over him and to his other side, smashing her against a chair.

"You complete and utter idiot! Sit down, all of you. We know what we are doing." He yelled, spitting blood on the floor.

Twilight had ran next to the rest of them. Applejack had been too busy trying to hold down Pinkie to help, as did Rarity and Fluttershy, but it looked like their struggles were now ending. Twilight could get them out lickety split.

"I am going to try and teleport us to the castle infirmary. They can help her there!"

Applejack saw Raegdan's eyes burn with anger. "NO!" he shouted for Twilight to stop, but she was already casting.

His leg flew towards Twilight's face before she finished and knocked her down.

* * *

"That drawing kind of looks like Raegdan. Is it yours?" Applejack asked Shining Armor.

"It was a gift from him. He used to tell stories to Twilight, often at bedtime. His people have thousands upon thousands of them, as he says. This is from his favourite one. Twilight begged him to retell it when he visited once and I fell in love with it. He made this for me on my next birthday."

"Whoever this is supposed to be, he sure looks scary. His armor looks a lot like Raegdan's." If you made a few changes and added the moon imagery you could almost swear it was him. The drawing was of an armored bipedal creature, much like Raegdan. It wore silver looking, spiky armor with a tattered black cloak. His head looked a bit too big. The helmet had spikes pointing up, resembling an iron crown and looked sinister, much like Raegdan's did. He was holding a large, club like weapon. He was standing on the slope of a mountain, bones beneath his feet, and a sinister tower in the distance behind him. Even further behind was a volcano spewing fire and black smoke, darkening the sky.

"He does. He was the villain of the story. Evil incarnate. The Dark Lord." Shining smiled. "I wondered why he gave me a picture of him rather than any of the heroes."

"Why did he?"

"He tried to spin some tale about how I needed to be my own hero and this was a representation of what I was going to fight against in my life, but gave up halfway." Shining laughed at the memory he was reliving. "He admitted in the end that he just preferred to draw him because he looks cooler. He said the real evil guys don't advertise it like that anyway."

It was a nice drawing technically, but not to Applejack's taste. She had more of a fancy for peaceful vistas. Stallions. "They all go cuckoo over some shining armor," she thought with a chuckle at her pun. Well, them and Rainbow. Applejack switched the topic back to where they were before being distracted by the strange picture.

"Ok, so any ideas as to _why_ he had been so sour when he first came here? I keep hearing he got into fights, but why?" Applejack asked Shining Armor. After telling her about his… suicide attempt they spent some time going over what happened next. He told her how Princess Celestia locked him up and kept trying to get him back to his senses. He kept up his constant and violent goading, which she ignored, until he accepted she was not going to do what he wanted and his acceptance of it. Raegdan was a very complicated mess, so she tried to make sense of him by going over the beginning again.

"Apart from what had happened to him before he arrived? I can't tell you about that, Princess Celestia's orders. It's not a story you would want to hear anyway. I only know the basic outlines and I still get nightmares. But, if you wonder why he didn't get any better until a lot later…"

"I have a couple of theories now. I… am willing to share them, but you must make sure nopony hears about them. And I mean nopony. If this reaches the wrong ears, Raegdan will be lucky to avoid being killed. That includes Princess Celestia too. Her continuous protection is the only reason Raegdan hasn't been killed by the Solars yet. If she loses what little trust she has left in him and they get a whiff of that..."

"Keep in mind, I wasn't part of the Guard then. I was still in school. But I knew Raegdan, he escorted Twilight everywhere, and he brought her home at least once a week. My parents and I came to know him and he was always polite and civil with us. It was during one of those visits actually, when he said something that stuck with me."

"What was it?" Applejack asked.

"We were in the living room waiting for dinner to get ready. Twilight was in the kitchen, trying to give mom a hoof. At one point he keeps staring at the wall across from him and I asked what was so interesting about it. He turns to me and says "I was just admiring your dog." I honestly didn't expect that answer. We had no dog, nor was there any picture of one in the room. So, I ask him where he saw that and he points at an empty section of the wall."

Applejack felt one of her eyebrows move up on its own volition. "He was seeing things?"

"Yes! No, wait, I didn't mean it like that," Shining said, planting his hoof over his face. "He was looking at the paint. It had been some time since we had a new layer of paint over and there were traces of water damage and dirt. He pointed it out at me, tracing it with his finger. I didn't see it at first, but if you really looked at it and filled some parts with your mind you could see a dog running. I asked him, "how did you make that out so easily?". He answered "patterns".

"Patterns?" Applejack asked for validation.

"Patterns," Shining confirmed. "He said "We are good at seeing patterns. Too good, sometimes. We often see things that are not really there. We live and breathe them, you could say"... that had got him pretty depressed for some reason, now that I think about it."

"What's that got to do with all the hassle he was causing at first?"

"When I became Captain of the Guard I had to review potential… security risks, let's call them. That included Raegdan. Checking his history, it got me thinking about that day. Patterns. So, I started looking for them, trying to see them like Raegdan did. Really look at them and fill them in with my mind. He himself said that his kind lived them." Shining walked to his office, pulling out a very thick folder and brought it over.

"That's a pretty big doorstopper," Applejack said with admiration.

Shining chuckled as he opened the folder "His most serious episodes occurred when he felt Twilight or Spike were threatened or hurt in any way. But there were others of lesser magnitude, often left explained as simple losses of control." He leafed through the folder. "But if you fill in some parts, you find-"

"A pattern," Applejack finished.

"Exactly!" said Shining with the satisfaction of a teacher whose student paid attention. "His "random attacks", almost half the time had two things in common. They always happened in one of two general places in the castle and always against two classes of ponies. It was always near the living quarters or offices and always against ponies who worked as aides for the Nobility or branches of the government." He pulled a heap of papers from the folder. Shining Armor had separated them in two stacks. One was labeled "Random attacks" and the other "Twilight/Spike attacks".

Applejack got hold of the one that had Twilight's name. It was full of reports. They all shamelessly pointed to Raegdan as the aggressor, and the sections where the injuries were noted down were all overflowing. She compared them with a few from the other stack. Same deal. Raegdan was still the one that initiated everything, according to the guards, but here the injuries were mostly small things, with some exceptions, like a couple of bruises or a terrified pony.

"So he had a grudge against the powerful folk?"

"See, I thought that too. But if he did, why didn't he attack them directly? So I looked again, poring over for another explanation. After every such attack, those reports say that he was caught about twenty to forty minutes later, often in his room. Compare that with his more spur of the moment episodes that involved Twilight and Spike mostly, and you will find that in those cases he was apprehended almost instantly, often waiting for the guards right where he was."

"The tall fella was working with a plan? All that was a ruse?"

"Not all of it, but a lot. I think he was looking for something. He didn't attack those ponies for nothing. He was scaring them off the premises, hiding under the guise of his impromptu violence, to search for whatever he was after."

Applejack started to understand. "Their rooms! Their offices! He was using the time he had before he got caught to search in there."

"Right!" Shining agreed, excitement filling him as someone else followed his reasoning. "That's why he was often caught in his room. He was rushing back there to hide whatever he found. He was probably making his own search for patterns while creating one of his own!"

"What was he looking for? Did you find out?"

Shining shrugged. "I just got theories. But if he got into all that trouble, kept on it so methodically and stealthy, and easily accepted getting into trouble with the Princess for it, there is only one reason I can imagine him doing that for."

"Twilight and Spike." Applejack was certain. If Raegdan cared for one thing, that was it. "But why, exactly?"

Shining nodded. "Patterns, again. You know how he first met Twilight? Ok, I can tell from your grimace. Grizzly thing. It was the first and most serious attack against Twily that ever happened. But it wasn't the only one. Once again-"

"Patterns." Gee golly, this was kinda fun and exciting. She felt like a detective just listening and agreeing with him.

"Princess Celestia was getting her ear talked off to get rid of him. He was getting goaded, through Twilight and Spike, to act dangerously threatening. There were rumors spreading about him. I think somepony was trying to get him out of the way, either so they could try again or retribution. I believe Raegdan had realized that, so for whenever he was locked in the dungeons or indisposed for other reasons, he must have made a deal with Princess Celestia to keep Twilight and Spike by her side at all times, no matter what. That way, she was safe even if he wasn't there. Twilight couldn't even come visit us while he was in the dungeons. She even slept in the Princess' chambers."

"You thinkin' Twilight is still in danger then?" That wouldn't do. Nopony was touching a hair of her friends' manes while she was around.

Shining shook his head. "I think that's over with. I told you, he calmed down a few years after his arrival. I think that he was done with his search then."

"Wait a darn tootin' moment," she said suspiciously. "If he had found who tried to hurt Twilight, wouldn't he tell the Princess or somepony? Maybe you?"

Shining laughed outright. "Raegdan? Let somepony else deal with whoever tried to hurt Twilight or Spike, especially whoever was behind her foalnapping? Never. I think I can guess what happened. I have no proof, just ideas, but even if I did, I don't know if I would tell the Princess. Whoever did this to my little sister deserved what he got from him," he snarled.

"I think," he said after a short, contemplative pause, "that Raegdan somehow managed to find out who was behind it. And then he killed him. That's why things calmed down later on. There was nopony out there guiding others to goad him and Raegdan himself was basking in a job well done. I searched but I can't find anything. There were some influential ponies that had gone missing in that time period, but no bodies or sign of foul play were found, so that's a dead end. If he indeed do something, he was extremely thorough."

Applejack contemplated what she learned. Raegdan might have been smart and patient, considering he probably found out the pony that tried to kidnap Twilight, even if it took him years and he did it alone. But… that was an if. What if he got the wrong pony? That seemed improbable since, as Shining said, things calmed down, but it just might mean that the real culprit decided to just give up. Not likely, but there's a chance.

Raegdan went at it alone. He wasted years, digging little by little. All this, without ever leaving the castle. All of it, completely unneeded if he just told the Princess about it. But he didn't. Because if he did, and Princess Celestia caught the guy, she would imprison him. So Raegdan chose not to. It didn't matter that the threat to Twilight would be gone anyway. Raegdan wanted blood.

She didn't like that. Smart, patient, bloodthirsty and, judging from the way he switched from nice guy to vicious, borderline insane. Oh, and let's not forget, he tried to commit suicide by Celestia. That was a new one. She bet every single apple on her farm that this was the first time somepony tried to off himself that way. She had a couple more things she needed to ask.

"Tell me, how did he hook up with Princess Luna?"

* * *

Applejack hated having to be the responsible one. Pinkie was convulsing worse by the second and somepony had to hold her down before she hurt herself more. When Rarity and Fluttershy, to her immense surprise, launched themselves at Raegdan, she was the only one left behind to do this. Did she damn her luck enough yet?

Rarity was the first to reach him. She didn't bother with magic, Rarity never did when angry. Instead, with a screech, she hurled herself at Raegdan and tried to punch his face. Raegdan's reflexes stopped her. He saw her coming at the edge of his vision and like lightning, his fist jabbed forward, hitting Rarity right on the chest and stopping her mid-jump. Rarity fell down cradling her aching chest. Spike jumped off Raegdan's back and rushed to her aid.

"Are you all deaf? Listen to me, and sit down. We are doing… doing…"

Fluttershy didn't physically assault Raegdan. She used something else instead.

"How dare you!" she yelled. Raegdan had turned towards her, looked straight into her wide stare, and was caught.

The Stare. It deserved the capital S. Fluttershy described it to Applejack once as an attempt to make someone feel as sorry as possible. Applejack had seen her use it plenty of times and one time she was at the right angle to get caught in it a bit. It was unnerving. She felt as if she was looking at Granny's eyes when she once tried lying to her. It brought to Applejack's mind her parents, their eyes telling her they trusted her to be good while they were gone for their walk. The look in Applebloom's eyes as she followed Applejack's every action, learning from her examples. The steady stare of Big Mac, his quiet assurance that he would always support Applejack all the way. And beneath all those images, a voice that was asking "are you doing what is right?".

No wonder it brought a dragon to tears.

Raegdan was now captivated in the same situation. He was shaking, almost as much as Pinkie under Applejack's hooves was. His face had gone almost sheet white, more than when Rainbow hit him on his side. His eyes had gotten wide as saucers, the pupils so dilated there was only blackness in them.

"How dare you hit Rainbow? Rarity? Twilight! We have been your friends and this is how you pay us back? Pinkie is hurting, the same mare who cheered for you, and you let her suffer? You are not getting away with this, buster! You are going to let us go and then, when Pinkie is alright, you are going to give everyone a heartfelt apology-"

Fluttershy was lost in her effort to keep her Stare right in Raegdan's eyes and delivering her speech. She couldn't see what Applejack did by her side. He was mouthing something, the same two words, over and over, and had started sweating profusely. He was terrified.

Applejack couldn't leave Pinkie Pie. She was gurgling now, her mouth had filled with that terrible foam and she was unconsciously trying to spit it out. Applejack fought to keep her head sideways and her airway clear. If she turned her head upwards it would slide back her throat and choke her. Applejack checked to see if Twilight managed to get up, but no luck. She was still out of it. She called out for Rainbow Dash, desperately trying to get her to return to the fight. Raegdan was scared out of his mind. When fellas like him felt like that, they didn't back off. They fought back.

He was pulling his hammer from his side, eyes still locked with Fluttershy's.

There was a rainbow colored blur and Raegdan was away from Fluttershy and rolling on the floor as Rainbow Dash rammed into him. She didn't stop this time, nor did she try staying close to his reach. She was flying around the room, gaining momentum, and when she had enough, she rammed back into him with the sound of hooves clashing against metal. Applejack did cheer this time.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Rainbow yelled.

"You stupid, damn-," he spoke something in his alien language, "you are doing this worse for yourselves! I am trying to stop you from- OOF!"

Applejack called for Fluttershy to get back and help her. It took a few tries. Fluttershy was captivated by the hammer that Raegdan dropped. Poor girl probably understood what could have happened there. But this was _not_ the time for that! She could barely keep Pinkie down on her own any longer.

Rainbow was holding her own against him, but Raegdan was resourceful and didn't bother playing nice. As he fell backwards with another hit from Rainbow, he reached from the floor and with a startled "eep", he pulled the half-conscious Rarity towards him. He looked straight at Rainbow and lifted his hand, ready to bring it on Rarity's face.

Rainbow took the bait. Her protectiveness kicked in, and she dove straight for Raegdan. But now he was ready for her and she was heading in a straight course for him. He shifted his arm's aim mid swing and punched straight forward, instead of down, his fist flying between Rainbow's outstretched hooves and nailing her right on the forehead.

There was a crack and Rainbow crushed down, dizzily shaking her head. Raegdan cradled his hand, examining his fingers with a grimace of intense pain. Rainbow had quite the hard skull so Applejack seriously doubted the breaking sound came from her.

He should have been paying attention because the last attack came from the most unlikely source. Spike had enough and jumped on him, making him lose his balance and landing on his back.

Spike was mad. Raegdan's threat to really hurt Rarity was the last straw for the baby dragon. His irises were reptilian slits and fire was coming out of his mouth. He tried to scratch at Raegdan, but his armor proved stronger than his stubby claws. His flame intensified. He turned towards Raegdan's head and took a deep breath.

"Little flame, stop! I can explain, don't-"

Spike didn't have time to breathe out his fire. He was encased in a blue field of magic and lifted off of him.

"Enough!" a voice echoed in the room, stopping them all in their tracks.

Luna had decided to intervene.

* * *

"Now, you might wonder about that, but Princess Celestia tried to stop Raegdan from ever meeting with Luna," Shining told Applejack.

"Let me have a wild guess here. She was considerin' he might try something?" A pretty solid bet to make. Everything about Raegdan so far pointed towards him trying stuff that wouldn't be welcome by anypony.

"If you think about it, it was a wise call. Princess Celestia didn't think that Raegdan would exactly hit it off with the mare that -despite not being in control at the time- tried to hurt Twilight and her friends."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. What changed Princess Celestia's mind?"

Shining sighed in resignation. "Nothing. We just found out one day that Raegdan had, for all intents and purposes, moved into her chambers. He must have met with her, probably sneaked in the tower right under our noses, and…"

"Just became friends?"

Shining gave her an incredulous stare. "It just doesn't fit at all with him. There never was any fight with her, no arguments, _nothing_. And I wouldn't describe their relationship as mere friendship. Raegdan has become something between her servant, guard, and confidant. They do _everything_ together. It's rare to see them away from each other, and when we do it means one of them is going to get into trouble."

"What do they do, anyways? I kept hearing they get into trouble but you make it sound as if they spend most time away from everypony."

"Most of the time, they do stay in Luna's tower. They are up to something, as displayed by their Lunar Guard idea, but I have no idea what else. Sometimes they come out of there with some hidden gem from Raegdan's kind, but that's rare. When they are not up there, they get into fights. Sometimes it's Luna, the others it's Raegdan. About fifty-fifty I'd say."

Applejack was reminded of what she really wanted to talk about. Shining Armor was the best pony available to tell her about that, but he might not take it well. It was a chance she had to take. No pain, no gain. "There is something that Luna mentioned today…"

She saw she had Shining's attention and continued. "She said that the Guard refuses to guard her chambers, and nopony obeys her commands, apart from Raegdan. She seemed pretty sour about that…"

She trailed off. Shining Armor was looking at her with disbelief. "That's what she said?"

Applejack hesitated. "This- isn't that true? There were no guards at all at her tower, or servants either."

"No, it is true… kinda. But… they themselves are the prime cause."

"Because they get into fights with ponies, you mean?"

"No, NO! You are right, maids and the rest of the staff are too afraid of them both to go up there. I tried to fix things from my side of things. I had Guards guarding her chambers, but they drove them off. The guards that were posted there came back with near horror stories. Luna was using her magic to ransack through their sleep, somepony -who am I kidding, it was Raegdan- was going through their private belongings and… well, one of the guards had enough and made a comment. Something along the lines of "can't wait for Princess Celestia to banish her back to the moon again". They went completely berserk, understandably. The guards were lucky to escape with no life threatening injuries. After that, everypony refused to go near them and Princess Luna and Raegdan seemed to be fine with that. In fact, Raegdan forbid me from sending anypony at the tower."

"They didn't seem to be fine with it today," Applejack explained to him. "Luna gave a whole speech to Princess Celestia about it. Plus, the Princess seemed to know nothing about that. Haven't you guys told her?" This reeked. This all reeked to high heavens. First they scare everypony away then they complain about it? What were they trying to pull?

Shining seemed embarrassed. He didn't even dare to look Applejack in the eyes. "In all honesty… Princess Celestia is not being told much."

"WHAT?"

Shining Armor tried to defend himself. "It's just that… Princess Celestia has a whole country to look after, among all her other duties. Things that we think we can handle, or she can't do much about, just gets put aside. It's the unwritten rule around here. Princess Celestia doesn't need to know every single thing that happens. It's why we have other officials and ministers after all."

"Ok, ok, let's just ignore all that collective lyin' you're doing, for now," Applejack said placing her hoof over her eyes, "and let's get back to Luna's Lunar Guard idea." Applejack explained to Shining Armor what Luna wanted to do.

"That… is not a bad idea. It would certainly help relieve all that aggression they have. If it was up to me however, I'd just let them go at it on their own. I doubt there is much that would be trouble for the two of them if they are careful. If it would mean an end to the Lunar Guard idea, so much the better."

Typical so far. Another pony who was against that. "You hate the idea too, huh?"

Shining's face betrayed his incredulousness. "Are you kidding me? Do you know what will happen if Princess Luna goes ahead with that? The Solar Guard will have a fit! They are not raising any trouble now because they don't believe anything will come out of it."

Ok… She had to expect that. Commander Steadfast was pretty clear on how far away from warm he was about that idea. Maybe Rainbow had called it right this time. "They don't like the competition?"

"Competition? They don't care about that at all. It's the fact that the one pony they were first founded to kill wants to have her own personal army."

Applejack blinked. She blinked again. Then she gently hit her ears with her hoof. Nope, they seemed to be working fine. Maybe the problem was her brain or something deeper. "I am sorry, Shining. I seem to be a tad more tired that ah thought. Did you just say the Solar Guard is here to kill Luna or should I go get mah head checked?"

"You don't know how the Solar Guard began, do you?" She shook her head. She never paid attention to all the military stuff. Rainbow might have known, but she would have expected her to say something by now. "It was because of Nightmare Moon. Nopony could stand up to her. Every Guard regiment that tried was brushed off like flies. Princess Celestia was the only one who could take her on, but it was her sister in there. She held back from really fighting her, getting near killed for it in some of their sorties, until she was able to use the Elements on her own and banish her."

"Afterwards, the whole fiasco let the Royal Guard know how truly unprepared they were with dealing with the really heavy stuff. So they formed the Solar Guard. Their job was to tackle threats that went above the Royal Guard's capabilities, but also defend Princess Celestia. They live by the idea that each one of them dead in a battle protecting the Princess is one attack less that Princess Celestia has to deal with. You see, if you girls hadn't managed to deal with Nightmare Moon or Discord, the complete strength of the Solar Guard would be dealing with them next."

Applejack didn't feel good about the potential of that attempt. "I doubt they'd be able to do much. Those three today didn't really put on a good show," she said sadly. Poor fellas didn't deserve what they got.

"I didn't see the fight myself, but I heard about it. Raegdan got lucky."

"He did end up with a couple of deep holes in him," she agreed.

"Not what I meant." Shining was frowning now. Whatever it was, she was meant to take this seriously. "Raegdan didn't fight their best. Despite what Luna asked for, Commander Steadfast was not going to endanger what he considers to be a precious commodity that belongs to the Princess in a fight over pride. Besides, they were armed and armored with standard Royal Guard gear."

"They get better stuff in the Solar Guard?"

"Much better. I am talking about enchanted armor and weapons the likes of which I have never seen. Not even they have enough of them to equip their every member, but they have enough to put the smackdown on everything. I doubt they could get Discord, but Nightmare Moon? She was never going to win, even if you girls hadn't been there."

Wow. Seems like Raegdan really did get lucky after all. "They aren't going to try anything against Luna, are they? I mean, she is not Nightmare Moon anymore."

"No, no. There's no risk for that. Princess Celestia told Solar Commander Steadfast not to get any ideas and if there's something the good Commander does it's obeying her wishes. At least, as long as he believes they are not a danger to herself. If Luna makes a wrong move they take as hostile action against Princess Celestia though… she doesn't stand a chance, Princess Celestia's orders or not."

* * *

"Little dragon, I applaud your courage, your fighting spirit, and your haste to defend your friends. However, if you try to direct your flames against my companion again _I will tear off your scales, one by one!_ "

As Applejack was levitated in the air, she made the thought that ponies who performed those kind of threats would yell and shout. Luna didn't do that. She was talking all civil and quiet like, barely putting any emphasis on her words. It was creepy as heck.

"Luna! That's enough! Put them down." Raegdan was making his way up on his feet again. He favored his right side. Considering the smacks Rainbow delivered to his wounded side, he must be in a real load of pain right now. Good! He took a deep breath. "What do I do?"

Luna nodded towards Pinkie. Raegdan rushed to her side and gripped her down, using his knee to hold both her legs down. "Pinkie Pie did a flawless job consuming the poison and there was nothing, not the tiniest speck left to identify it. It is to our fortune that Rarity did manage to pour a spoonful in her cup before Pinkie Pie managed to consume it all. We needed to know what poison it was before we try to treat it-"

"You could still have helped! She was having seizures! Why didn't Raegdan help us instead of attacking us?" Applejack rarely felt anger like that. She kicked and bucked ineffectively in the air.

Luna didn't seem to pick up on Applejack's intense displeasure, or didn't care. "There are poison variants that are enchanted to feed on magic to quicken or enhance their effectiveness. There is even a very rare one that once it feeds on enough magic, it pollinates the air with itself, poisoning everyone around the victim. We are not dealing with that one, thankfully. But it **is** enchanted. The magic infusion of a healing spell or a teleport with the power of Twilight Sparkle would kill your friend in seconds. There is nothing we can truly do probably, but she might stand a chance if she is lucky."

Applejack's teeth gritted against each other. If Luna thought talking so casually about Pinkie Pie dying was making anything better, she was bucking the wrong tree. So what if it they weren't sure what poison it was? They could still use the time to drag Pinkie down to some help!

"Likewise, there are more mundane poisons that are equally effective, but an earth pony is normally resistant to most of them because of their inherent magic. If Raegdan laid his hands on your friend in that case, it might have hastened the poison's work if only a little. The risk was not worth it."

She turned to the armored figure. "Raegdan. We need to remove as much of the poison from her stomach as possible and get her to the infirmary. Letting a guest die unattended in our chambers will not do." This had better be just her way of relieving tension with a stupid joke, because if she really meant that, she was getting so bucked!

"I've got it," he said. He knelt next to Pinkie Pie and pulled her up to his embrace, Applejack and Fluttershy refrained from making any protests. He seemed to know what he was doing and at least it was something that would aid Pinkie. He scooped out the foam from her mouth and then forced two of his long fingers inside her throat. Pinkie Pie started wiggling and choking until she gave a loud gag and he turned her head so she could empty her stomach. A torrent of half digested soup, vegetables, candy,and brown sludge covered the carpet. When she was done, Raegdan nodded at Luna and waited for her instructions.

"Good. You will have to carry her down to the castle's infirmary. Even levitation magic is dangerous for her now, but thanks to your ability you are the best method of transportation." Raegdan shifted Pinkie in his grasp, one hand forcing Pinkie's head tight against his chest, the other wrapped around her body.

Raegdan paused before heading out and looked at the still unconscious Twilight, regret emanating in waves from him. "Can you carry Twilight down there, please? I want to get a doctor to check her out too."

"Rarity and Rainbow too," Applejack added. They weren't leaving anypony behind.

"Of course," Luna agreed and she lifted the other three mares in her magic too. "Raegdan, we will be making our way down on our own. If you could rush with Pinkie Pie, please?" Raegdan nodded at her command and sprinted out, Pinkie still trembling in his arms. He only halted for a few seconds at the door to look behind him, at a pensive Spike.

The little dragon whispered an apology on the verge of tears. Raegdan only stood long enough to flash him a proud smile before running out the door.

* * *

Pinkie Pie was going to die. That's what it looked like at the moment. The doctors did what they could. She had been fitted with so many tubes and IV lines that Applejack wanted to cry just seeing her. She looked so frail and weak. The doctors feared she would stop breathing. They had another line ready to bring oxygen to her lungs in case she… lost the strength to do so on her own. By the time Raegdan had brought her here, the white foam Pinkie kept drooling had become deep red.

They weren't even allowed in the room. All she had seen was brief glimpses as doctors and nurses made their way in and out the door. The benches they occupied were comfortable enough, nothing like any proper hospitals she had ever been at. She just hoped the doctors here were better too. Please, _please_ , don't let Princess Celestia have skipped out on getting the best of the best, here of all places!

Pinkie was the glue that kept them all together. She was the one who always pulled them together when their everyday lives threatened to drift them even slightly apart. She would drag them all, one by the other, into each other's company, no matter what. Pinkie was not just the laughter, she was the joy of the group. Sheer and unadulterated joy, eager to be spread among her friends, making each moment something to hold to as precious and irreplaceable. Applejack was ashamed that sometimes the rest of them faltered as worthy bearers of the Elements they had been entrusted with. But it was with sheer pride that she watched Pinkie Pie, hopping her way around Ponyville, bringing smiles on everyone's faces, knowing that her friend never did fail like the rest of them. Never could. Pinkie Pie _was_ laughter and joy and smiles and…

Applejack sniffed hard. She didn't want to start crying. If she did she wouldn't stop. She refused to believe that it was needed anyway. Pinkie Pie would make it through. She would. Life would not be so cruel as to take her away from them, not like this. Pinkie had so much more to do, so many more days to brighten. She was going to see her hop and skip next to her again. There was no way that the last image she carried of Pinkie Pie would be the shivering mare that had to be tied down, plugged with all those- all those…

Oh Celestia, please, please save her. She could understand those ponies now. She wanted somepony to beg, to plead with, to save her friend. Her heart felt like it was swelling, but not in a pleasant way. It was as if despair filled it and it tried to escape the claustrophobic confines of her chest. It hurt, it really hurt. It hurt even more as she caught another glimpse of Pinkie, a doctor leaning over her and injecting something into her. She could do nothing. Her friend was dying and Applejack could do nothing. None of them could. It was all up to the doctors.

So now, all they could do was sit outside and wait. All of them were tired and some of them hurting physically, but they weren't going anywhere yet. Fluttershy and Rarity were crying their eyes out, giving in to the despair and fear.

Fluttershy, even at this moment, was trying to put her own grief at hold so she could console Rarity who was sobbing uncontrollably. That girl called herself a coward, but now when the chips were down, Fluttershy was the one who stood strong and supported her friends.

"I wasn't listening," Rarity was wailing. "Pinkie Pie spent all afternoon with me, talking to me, and I can't even remember what she was talking about. My friend is going to die and I wasn't _listening_ the last time she talked to me in private…" Rarity's self loathing was filling the air around her. She had nopony to blame outright, so she blamed herself. She blamed herself for letting Pinkie eat the defiled sugar, for not drinking the tea she had in front of her and feeling the effects first, for being an inattentive friend… Rarity kept searching for reasons to blame herself, trying to tempt the universe to change the chain of events and put her in Pinkie's place.

Rainbow Dash was still undecided on whether to follow their lead or keep on raging against Luna and Raegdan. Rainbow needed a target, somepony to focus her energy on. She had chosen Luna and Raegdan and was not going to give up soon. In Rainbow's mind they were as guilty as whoever did the actual poisoning. They took too long to act, they were not prepared enough, they hurt her friends, they _let_ it happen. She was firing reason after reason they were to blame for this. Applejack knew this was only a precursor. Rainbow would soon find another target, one that would take the blame gladly. Herself. And when- IF, if Pinkie didn't make it, which she would, Rainbow would never stop blaming herself.

Twilight was sitting next to Applejack, her head hung low, hiding from view the massive shiner that Raegdan gave her. She wasn't taking it well. None of them did, but Twilight probably had it worse. Applejack knew that Twilight was blaming herself for what happened. It's what the young mare did best out of all of them. Spike had curled against her, but Twilight didn't notice him. She had hoped to have her friends meet someone she liked and spend a few days in the castle like a vacation of sorts. Instead, it all culminated to this moment, Pinkie fighting for her life in that dreadful room across from them, and Twilight was trying to come to terms that she could have killed her friend, because she broke her tenet of thinking before acting. Because she never studied medicine. Because she once again didn't let herself listen to Raegdan.

Applejack didn't believe that. She wanted to blame them, oh she wanted to blame someone for this _so much_ , and this happened in _their_ rooms on _their_ watch. Rainbow was not right, but Applejack almost wanted her to be. Rainbow had been screaming her head off about how Luna and Raegdan tried to poison them. Applejack half-heartedly tried to talk some sense into her, tell her there was no way that's what really happened. Raegdan loved Twilight and Spike too much to let something like that happen. Rainbow's counterargument though, was too close to truth to ignore.

"He might care for Twilight and Spike, but he won't shed a single tear if it's any of the rest of us that bites it." It was enough to flare up all of Twilight's worries and guilt to even more massive levels. She kept touching the bruise on her face, as if making sure that it really happened. Applejack tried to feel for her, support her, but…

Pinkie was dying. Twilight's relationship with the guy who just sat there waiting for Luna to tell him what to do, watching as if what was happening wasn't _important_ enough as long as it wasn't happening to Twilight, could go hang itself. If Pinkie- _when_ Pinkie got better, then they could talk.

She looked down the hallway, eyeing a door that was just the tiniest sliver open. That's where they were now. As soon as Luna arrived down here, she dropped everyone unceremoniously on the floor, asked Raegdan for confirmation whether the doctors had been told about the magic eating poison, and then pulled him in there. They hadn't come out yet. A nurse went inside at one point and, after some muffled shouting, Applejack saw her running with fear in her eyes. In a few minutes she returned carrying a bag filled with what Applejack guessed were medical supplies.

Rainbow didn't do a shoddy job against him this time. Good. She hoped he was hurting a lot.

Applejack wanted to have a word with them. Or several, and she would be saying most of them. They wouldn't be nice words either. She decided to do so. Any action was better than just sitting on her chair, feeling splinters plunge in her chest every time Pinkie's door opened. Applejack never handled grieving well. She needed to be active, to do something, anything. She had to keep her body or mind occupied with something else. She got up and walked to the door leading to the ones she wanted to spew all her fears at. The girls barely glanced at her as she left her seat, too lost in their own tormenting thoughts to truly notice.

The room was dark but through the tiny opening she could spot a small light at the other end. Carefully, she pushed the door, making sure she made no noise. It swung easily enough on well oiled hinges and Applejack thanked her lucky stars. She wanted to catch them by surprise and not give them any time to think up any excuses this time. She was going to do this like when questioning Applebloom. Questions, shooting one after another, barely giving them time to think through their answers. Now, she just had to be extra careful as she squeezed through and gently pressed her hooves on the floor til she was right on top of them.

This room was large. There were enough beds for maybe six or eight patients at least, but she couldn't be sure due to the majority of it being in the dark. She eyed her target, the flickering light behind a bed screen. She could hear hushed mutterings but was too far to make them out. It was nothing that couldn't be fixed with her sneaking skills, sharpened by years of being the big sis. She crept her way deeper into the room, the voices becoming clearer with each step.

Raegdan's voice cleared up. "...are ok?"

Luna was answering him. Her tone surprised Applejack. Gone was the formality and clipped voice. She sounded sad. "I'm fine, Raegdan. It was just a few drops. A single, normal sip would have killed me in a day or two, but I can handle this. I am weak, but not that much."

"Did you have to do it _this_ way? Luna, you are not trying to-"

Luna cut off Raegdan's worried questioning. "No. I promised, Raegdan, and I will keep my word to you. Pinkie promise, right?" Applejack wondered about that but then she remembered. Raegdan had read Twilight's letters. He probably told her about that. "It was the fastest way to identify the poison, despite the risk. It was our fault, after all."

Applejack promised to herself that she was getting an honest answer to her question about that. And if she didn't like the answer she was going to spend the rest of her life in a dungeon for regicide.

She could see their shadows through the screen. They were blurry and distorted, but they were there. She could make them out, sitting next to each other, real close, probably leaning on each other. Maybe Rarity's suspicions were true. Or not. It didn't matter right now.

"What do you mean, your fault?" she asked.

Raegdan was the fastest of the two. By the time Luna got off the bed and her horn lit, ready to cast, he had already ripped through the sheet and stood in front of Applejack. His armor was missing and new bandages covered his side, a pink smudge already spreading. Fresh bruises covered his face and body. When he saw who he was facing he visibly wilted.

"Out of everyone that it could be, it had to be you," he said in a voice of surrender.

"You don't like me much, do ya, big boy?" Applejack answered.

He shrugged. "I fear you. Let's leave it at that. Can we help you? Or can you just leave?"

Applejack questioned his statement, but chose to turn towards Luna who had reclaimed her previous aloof appearance. "Yeah, no! Y'all could start by explaining to me what you meant when you said what happened is your fault. If you were the ones to try and poison us…"

Applejack dropped that line of reasoning from her thoughts. It was obvious from Luna's shock and Raegdan's horrified expression that she was bucking an empty tree. "Spill. What did ya mean?"

Raegdan sat back on the bed, only this time facing Applejack. He motioned for Luna to come next to him and she obliged at once. Luna raised her head to answer, the way she always seemed to do, but Raegdan put his bandaged left hand on the back of her neck and shook his head.

Luna seemed to deflate. She kept her head low and eyes cast down as she answered. "This was not the first poisoning attempt we had to deal with."

Applejack's eyes wide shot open wide. Today was all about surprises. "Explain. Now. Or I bring Twilight and Princess Celestia in here and you can explain all this to them."

Luna and Raegdan seemed to take the threat much more seriously than Applejack would have expected. They exchanged a look and Luna continued. "There have been more attempts since my return. This was the third using poison. We… we didn't even think that someone would take a chance at hurting one of you. We believed ourselves to be the sole targets."

"Why didn't you tell anypony about this? What about your sister?"

"Celestia? What can she do? Give an order to stop trying to kill us? We still have no idea who is behind this. Anypony could be helping them. We are not exactly popular."

"Ah know. I did some asking around. Seems to me you are doing this to yourselves."

Raegdan answered her, a shade of anger in his voice. "Don't think you have the whole picture. We are all alone in this. There is no one we can trust who can actually help. Celestia cannot do anything more than she does already, and she _cannot_ be involved in this. The only one I trust of the Guard is Twilight's brother and he is in the same boat as her. All we can do is weather this, hope they make a mistake, and keep searching for them on our own. Why do you think we need the Lunar Guard? We have no one on our side. We are fighting for our lives! If we give the slightest opening we will end up dead. We no longer allow anyone at Luna's tower for a reason. We need help from ponies we can trust!"

This explained much of what she heard today. Their distrust and anger directed towards everypony… they must have been feeling trapped in a place where anypony could be their enemy. No wonder they were ecstatic about today's fight. They thought they were turning things to their advantage.

Applejack didn't want to be the one to burst their little bubble, but somepony had to. "Don't hold your breath for that."

Raegdan's and Luna's head whipped to her direction.

"I had a talk with Shining Armor and I asked around. The way you both acted today, nopony wants to have anything to do with any kind of Lunar Guard."

It crushed them. Raegdan and Luna looked scared at each other, having a whole conversation with their eyes and they both slumped down. Raegdan lowered his head and closed his eyes while one of his arms went around Luna who hid her face in his neck.

"I'm sorry, but that's the honest truth. Even if somepony wishes to join, I doubt it will be somepony you two will be able to trust."

Luna's voice was muffled but Applejack could hear the cracks in it as she spoke. "We failed. First step of _all_ our plans and we didn't even make it this far. It's all my fault. I wanted us to show off. I thought we did so well! We are dead, Raegdan. We are _worse_ than dead. Celestia will find out everything, and then… then…" Luna started quietly sobbing.

Raegdan turned his torso against her and took her in his embrace, letting her sob on his chest. "Luna, we can still do this. We still have options. Even if it all goes bad, at worst… at worst we run. I can get us out. It might be to a life of hell, but it is better than the alternative," he whispered urgently, fighting to calm her down. Applejack barely heard him among the Alicorn's whimpers.

"What are you two trying to do? What do you fear so much?" Applejack asked in a hushed whisper. Their despair and fear filled the room. Despite her own tragedy waiting a few steps behind her, Applejack tried to be gentle. Gone was the strong, proud princess. Luna cried in Raegdan's arm, her facade shattered, exposing a terrified pony beneath.

"Lots of things," he took a deep breath. "Survive for one. These assassination attempts are only the first step. More elaborate ones will follow when it's plain that simple things like poison and magic bombs don't work. We banked all our hopes on having some fighters on our side in due time. For our protection and... other things." Raegdan's hands moved comfortingly over Luna's mane and her back as he talked, trying to soothe her.

"Other things? Like what?"

Luna stopped her quiet crying just enough to answer with malice. "Like _you_."

"Pardon?"

"The Elements," Raegdan explained half-heartedly. He didn't seem to want to expand on this but Luna's comment didn't give him an option. Applejack would just keep pressing now and he knew it. "We want them gone. We _need_ them gone. Either we made sure they are no longer needed and they go back where they came from or we would just take them and... destroy them."

Applejack couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Elements were Equestria's greatest protection. They were virtues in solid form. And they wanted them destroyed?

"The Elements are needed to protect the world. And you two just want to take that away? Are you crazy?"

"Oh, wake up!" Raegdan said disdainfully. "You think those little gems are the only way to protect yourselves and believe everything is fine because with those you can take down the big obvious targets? They are not. You can do just fine without them. And in essence, the Elements are useless!"

"You think L- Nightmare Moon and Discord were evil and dangerous? They were **_nothing_**!" he shouted. "Worse than nothing. They would never be able to win, not if all of you faced them instead of cowering. They were big, they were evil, they were frightening, and they could be _beaten_. They were just big bullies. But, real evil, **that,** you cannot defeat by shooting a magic ray at it once and be done with it. It stays forever, because it is in everyone. Little things like greed, pride, little lies, and distrust. Those are its true face. Little, unimportant acts that you can just wave off, until they pile up more and more, like a swarm of cockroaches, and then fall on all of you, drowning worlds in their filth. Come on, miss Honesty, don't you know how little lies become big ones? You think corruption and madness works differently? The Elements blind you to that, just like Celestia does. You see them shining and dazzling, taking down the big targets. You keep looking up at them and fail to see the gutter that pools at your feet. The Elements will be the death of your world in the end."

"Even without those reasons, I want them _gone_. I'll shatter them with my own hands or cast them outside this world if I have to. As long as they exist and Twilight is bearing one of them, she is gonna keep getting thrusted into one great danger after another." Raegdan was almost roaring out his fury. "I have other reasons too, I admit to that, but the point remains! You, out of everyone involved, should be supporting us in this. How long until one day someone decides to get the initiative and kills one of you to take this weapon out of the picture? What if that one is you? I know you have a little sister. Doesn't she have precious little already? Is she going to lose her older sister too?"

Applejack ignored his rant and the irony he missed in it. He hadn't seen the Elements in action and that's why he had no faith in them. But that last part… Applejack had never thought of it like this, but he had a point. If some threat wanted to protect itself from them, all it had to do was take one of them out. She… she realized that if Raegdan was right that it could be her. She could be leaving her family behind forever every time she answered the Princess' call. One day, she might walk away and never return again.

"Just like ma and pa," she thought.

She moved her attention back to the pair in front of her. After witnessing today's confrontation with Princess Celestia, Applejack had half a mind to drag all her friends back to Ponyville away from those two. The only reason she didn't was her gut. Applejack always had a propensity to tell if somepony was honest or not. Raegdan was like a screaming red light for her. Almost his every action and word was like giant flaming letters to her eyes, spelling out "liar". Except for a very few. His love for Twilight and Spike was genuine, no question. But it wasn't that which pushed her to hold her tongue and search deeper.

It was his apology about his lack of guilt. He was lying about that, Applejack would bet everything she owned on this. Applejack believed that Raegdan, deep down, at the deepest core of his being, felt guilt. He lied when he denied it, and the little hints she was getting all day told her he lied to himself most out of everyone, so much that he genuinely believed it now. If she needed any proof, his reaction to Fluttershy was it. Luna… Luna was ringing hollow before. It was only now that Applejack felt she was seeing something of her true self. They did have feelings. They made friends out of each other, they supported and comforted the other. Raegdan looked out for Luna and she did the same for him. They were not the complete monsters they had made almost everypony start to believe.

But did this change things? Were those facts making up for their actions, no matter how justified they felt they were? She looked at them again. They resembled foals, trying to keep each other brave during a thunderstorm. Shining Armor said that they were keeping each other calm. She wondered how often that translated to this exact scene being played over and over in the privacy of their tower. How many times did they plunge into depression and fear? Did they ever feel they had the freedom to let their guard down and just enjoy themselves? Maybe, but Applejack wouldn't bet a lot of bits on how high that number was.

They wouldn't make it on their own. She was certain of that. They trusted no pony, not even those closest to them for help. Even now, they would not tell the exact truth. They were hiding things, even as they cradled each other. She wasn't sure what she should do. They were habitual liars. Maybe they felt it necessary to be so, maybe that's who they just darn were. How much could she trust of what they said? Applejack's instincts were not infallible, no matter how much she wished her darn fancy necklace helped with that. This could be a huge mistake, listening and believing them. Should she trust their word that things really were that bad and even Princess Celestia hadn't taken notice?

She glanced back towards the direction where Pinkie was still fighting for her life. Applejack could hear Pinkie's answer, clear as day, in her mind, followed by happy giggles. "They are our friends, and friends help each other." Pinkie… she would trust in her ailing friend. She would help them like they did in Ponyville because that was the _right_ way to do things. Not their own. She would show them that there could be ponies they could trust. That Raegdan's fables of big, little evil, had no place in Equestria. That there were more ponies out there that could be their friends apart from the two of them for each other. Family, friends, and honest work would win the day.

She just needed an opening, something to worm her way into their core and change their path. And she had one. Today's talks with Shining Armor and their current condition showed her what the weak link in their chain of solitude was. Luna obviously only had Raegdan to hold onto. Raegdan was the key, and Raegdan's greatest weakness had been made clear again and again. She knew which tasty worm she had to use to bait her hook. She kept silent for a little more, waiting for Luna's tremors to subside.

"I know how you can fix this." She had their attention, Applejack knew it, even if they didn't show it. "Ponies will not trust you, not with the way you act. But if you change your act enough to show them they can trust you to work with you…"

"Girl, I think you are underestimating how badly we are seen. We are not totally blind you know. We know enough of their opinion."

"And it is well deserved." That hit its mark, even a little bit. "You need to do this. You told me, Raegdan, they only need to hurt one of us to remove the Elements. But the same goes for you. How long until somepony figures out that all he has to do to remove you from Luna's side is to target Twilight and Spike. You can't be standing guard over all of them." And… _hooked!_ Raegdan was now fully paying attention to her and actually listening to her words.

"You are not trusted. But **we** are. Princess Celestia is. Show Equestria that you have a better side, work the way we do, _along our side_ , just enough to stop scaring them away and you might be surprised. Try it our way for once. Twilight and Spike might have died today, Raegdan. Because of the way you chose to do this on your own, they were in danger while under your roof." No pony today, not the ones in the arena, Celestia, or Rainbow had delivered a strike that hit him that hard.

"All y'all have to do is temper down the violent behavior. Show some understanding. Say sorry once in a while, y'know? Stop hitting anypony who scoots too close with a stick. Do as Princess Celestia suggests. Go out, be seen acting in a decent manner. Everypony is so focused on the bad shows you've all made of yourselves because that's all you've done so far. Give them an alternate view. What do y'all have to lose?"

Raegdan was going to give this a shot, she knew. Maybe not because he believed it would work, but because he had no other viable choice. At least, not one that held as much promise as this one, one that Twilight and Spike would approve of after the catastrophe of today. He and Luna were whispering in each other's ears. She wondered if they ever thought about playing nice before or trusted themselves enough to try it.

Luna announced their decision, her despair waned in the face of a new plan to follow, one that had renewed her hopes. Applejack hoped she was doing the right thing. She still didn't know their exact end goals. The one she did wasn't one she was going to allow to happen. But as long as she could use Twilight as a deterrent, she thought there would be no special trouble.

"We- we will try your way, Applejack, but we will need a lot of help. We are not sure if we can convince anypony on our own. But we… we can act with help, at least. We are familiar with pretending to be something we are not, we might be able to keep it up long enough to get a few ponies solidly on our side."

Applejack wasn't happy with that notion, but she would take it. Even this, an attempt to "pretend to be something they are not", might change their behavior enough. Little lies did turn to big lies, but sometimes little lies turned to little truths, especially if those lies were the truth all along.

Luna continued, her regal stance returning. "We will have to act fast. Our first order of business will be to actually find the poisoner, at least the assassin who delivered it in our rooms. If we let this attempt against our... friends?" she questioned. Applejack nodded encouragingly. Luna kept going with renewed vigor. "If we cannot protect our friends, how can we show ponies they can put their faith in our abilities? We will find our culprit and bring our wrath down upon him. The Lunar Guard will not go down without a fight! Raegdan. This is our new chance! We fight back. They backed us to a corner and now they shall reap the spoils."

Raegdan grinned viciously at the idea of finding the one who endangered his children. Applejack knew that he had too much to deal with at the moment, and no target. But when he found one? Oh boy.

Applejack frowned a bit at the idea that Pinkie's happenstance was to be used as another attempt for them, but she gave it a pass. Plus, she saw what Shining Armor meant. If there was one person she wanted to get his hands on the one who did this to Pinkie, it was Raegdan. As long as he didn't kill him of course. This wouldn't help anypony, not Pinkie, not Applejack, nor Raegdan and Luna. But if she had her way, she would make sure he had a couple of minutes of personal time with whoever did it in a small room.

Pinkie. She had to get back out and find out if there were news. She spent too much time here already. If something had-

The door behind her burst open and along with the sudden rays of light that flooded the room came a lavender unicorn, her hurried trotting followed by the serene steps of Princess Celestia.

Twilight was shedding tears. Oh no, this… this didn't bode well.

Twilight ignored Applejack and Luna and jumped onto Raegdan's lap, eliciting a wince of pain from the half naked biped. Luna quickly scooted away and put her serene mask over her face again, her face unmarked by her tears with a quick spell that was cast the instant the door opened.

"Raegdan, help her, you have to help her, you must know something that can help! Please! Please, save Pinkie Pie!" Twilight was frantically begging him, her front hooves shaking his shoulders, hope trying to come up her voice, but failing, ending shattered and broken.

"Twilight, what's going on? What's happened to Pinkie Pie?" Applejack was having trouble breathing. This didn't sound good, not at all. What had happened out there while she was in here?

Princess Celestia answered Applejack from behind her. "I am sorry. The doctors are doing everything they can, but with the amount of poison she ingested… There is nothing they can do to save her. Her natural earth pony magic is feeding the poison. Luna told us what the poison was but any treatment is useless with the strength the enchantment currently has. We can cast no spell to help her, not without killing her outright. We cannot even do anything to ease her pain. I am sorry, Applejack. There is nothing to be done. All we might be able to give her is a quick… release." Celestia was talking calmly but tears were making small wet trails on her face.

The rest of the girls and Spike came rushing in behind her too. All of them crying now, all of them with a sparkle of hope shining in their eyes. Applejack realized what this was. They came in to beg the alien creature, the one that had knowledge outside of Equestria, to share his secrets and save their friend. Applejack turned to Raegdan, hope blooming in her chest too. "He knows things," Twilight had said. "They have no magic." He had to know a way to treat her without spells.

Raegdan looked at all of them, one by one, before turning to Luna, exchanging another one of their looks. Their expressions of pity ravaged their hopes.

"I am sorry, little one. I have nothing. I am no scientist. I am no doctor. All I have are half remembered things I read or learned a lifetime ago. I don't know anything that can help your friend."

"No!" Twilight refused to believe him. "You have to know something, anything. You- you once told me that your people had machines that could cleanse the blood! What about that, we can use that!"

Raegdan tried to bring her down gently. "Twilight, that's all I know about that. A machine that can clean the blood. That's it. I don't know how to build it, I don't know how it works, I am not even sure about its uses in medicine. I'm sorry."

Twilight's hopes evaporated, like they did for all of them. She leaned against Raegdan's chest, much like Luna did before, and sobbed loudly.

Rarity tried to push him for more, refusing to give up. "Raegdan, please. There must be something you can do. Some secret, some skill you have, something!" The white unicorn was joined by the quiet pleading of Fluttershy to save her friend. Even Rainbow had let go of the vestiges of her anger, quietly repeating "please" to him, over and over.

Raegdan's attempt to remain composed shattered before the expectations they were piling before him, the mass of supplication,and appeal for hope. Applejack figured that he couldn't deal with this well because it was so outside his comfort zone. This wasn't something he could fix or scare away with violence. He couldn't help where it _truly_ mattered. Pinkie Pie was doomed.

"What do you expect from me? I have _nothing_! You are the ones with magic, with the knowledge of how you actually work. I am not some mythical creature with ancient knowledge," he shouted at them with bitter sarcasm. "I don't have a horn on my head, or a magic mane. I don't attract virgins with my purity and my blood doesn't heal the sick or grant eternal life. I have no magic, or technology that can help you. All I have left is what you see before you, my flesh and blood. **She is going to die!** Accept it! I cannot stop that from-"

He halted his angry rant. He appeared to be thinking something over, gazing somewhere in the distance behind them. Twilight stopped her crying and looked up to his face, waiting. They all leaned forward, hope daring to spring up again. Even Princess Celestia held her breath. His eyes were glazed and his mouth was moving, mouthing his alien words.

"I think… I think I have an idea. Luna, we need to talk. Tell me if this could work…" he pulled Luna away from them and they started arguing in whispers.

* * *

Applejack didn't believe this. Only this fella could actually think of something like that. Luna was sitting behind him, giving him something to lean on, pride and worry both occupying her face at once.

Raegdan was sitting on the edge of Pinkie's bed. They had removed the tubes from Pinkie's mouth and moved her so she was half sitting on her rump, leaning on Raegdan's torso like a foal. They debated a bit for the best way to do this until Raegdan just unsheathed one of his knives and gave it to Luna to make a proper cut.

His arm with the sliced wrist was in front of Pinkie's mouth, the blood flowing in her mouth. His other hand was gently massaging her throat, urging her to swallow. Raegdan was sweating, his skin was turning pale, and seemed to be getting tired. He had spent most of his day bleeding in one way or another.

Applejack and the others were standing by the side, watching with some disgust. Princess Celestia seemed to find some amusement in it after her initial look of disturbance.

The unicorn doctor dared to cast a monitoring spell on Pinkie. His amazed bewilderment brought waves of relief among them. "I don't believe this. It's working. The nullifying effect is weakened, but digesting it spreads it all over her system for long enough. Her magic is being depleted and the poison is starting to get weaker. The antidote will start to work. She is gonna make it," he announced with a smile. They all cheered, crying out in relief. "Keep going for as long as you can, my big friend. We can stop in a few minutes and replenish what you lost so you can continue this in the morning!"

Raegdan nodded tiredly. A smile was spreading on his face. Applejack turned to see what he was looking at. Twilight, Spike, and Celestia were standing over her side, looking at him with undisguised pride. Applejack felt pride for him too. She was going to do as she said. She was going to help those two and get the girls behind her. They saved Pinkie Pie from certain death. They owed them this.

"You know, among my kind," Raegdan started to say with weary amusement, "there is this myth that drinking blood like this, from a _dead-not dead-drinker of blood_ , when standing on the edge of dying, you come back to life as a creature of the night, and become like him." He turned towards Pinkie Pie and employed a strange accent. "Rise Pinkie Pie. Your Mastah calls you. Rise from death and embrace ze night! Ve shall dance in ze moonlight and drink ze blood of ze innocent!" Luna was the only one to laugh at this.

He looked back at their expressions of shock. "This is why I don't do humor often. It is wasted on you," he said and kept on feeding Pinkie his magic nullifying blood. "Ze blood is ze life... You could at least fake a chuckle, my little ones."

Luna and Raegdan exchanged a satisfied glance. Applejack knew in her heart that this was a moment of potential change for them. Whatever they were afraid of, whatever they wanted to achieve, she believed they had a proper chance now. Now all Applejack and her friends had to do was stand by their side and keep them in line. Things would change for those two, starting tomorrow, after some well-deserved sleep.

Applejack was tired as _buck_.

She just wished they both hadn't smiled like that when talking about finding their potential assassin. Luna had grinned like that earlier today at the tournament too...


	7. Ch07 - Opening doors

Pinkie Pie was going to be ok!

When Raegdan was done with his… unconventional method of helping Pinkie Pie, it was finally time for both groups to offer their apologies and thanks to each other. Raegdan stood before them, his whole being focusing on the bruises he had given them, especially the one on Twilight's own face. He closed his eyes. Breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry for-"

He didn't make it any further before their massed attack.

Raegdan stood resolute, refusing to bend or fall under their assault. Twilight had leaped high enough to grapple her forelegs around his throat. Rainbow and Fluttershy used their winged advantage to attack his shoulders and arms. Applejack and Rarity went around his midriff. Spike, with his smaller stature, was able to wrap himself around Raegdan's head.

It was a hug to be retold as a legend. If only Pinkie Pie was awake so she could join in.

"I guess my apologies are not needed," he said, subdued.

It was a great ruckus as all six of them tried to make their _own_ apologies heard. Spike was crying and begging Raegdan to forgive him for trying to burn him. Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy were apologizing profusely for attacking him while he was trying to save their friend from them. Applejack was begging him to let her make right by him. Twilight herself was swearing she would never distrust him again.

"Yes, it's all very tragic. We have all learned a lesson today. Can you get off now?"

They all clamped up on him even tighter.

Luna was chuckling at him as she watched. "My mighty warrior has fallen before the cuddling strength of five mares and a baby dragon. Maybe I put too much faith in you?" she teased him.

"Make no mistake, Luna. I can get out of this at any moment, and when I do you are not going to like it."

Luna laughed at his challenge. "Oh, do your worst. I know you are not going to perform the slightest offensive action against them. You are trapped."

Raegdan shrugged as much as he could, shaking Rainbow and Fluttershy as they nuzzled his neck. "Your funeral." He cleared his throat with a series of loud coughs.

"Gee, is no one going to thank Luna with a hug? She was the one who identified the poison and saved Pinkie Pie from a magic overload after all."

"No! Raegdan, you traitorous bas- mpfffhhhh!"

"And… free!"

"Dig me out!" Luna's muffled voice ordered.

A few minutes later, after they had calmed down, Applejack shared a few things with them while Raegdan and Luna sat further away, refusing to take part until they were done.

It was quite the rollercoaster ride for Twilight.

First, it was horror, fear, and sympathy when they were told that this attempt to kill them was just the latest in a long series of them. Then came the pity and sorrow when Applejack described their meltdown, along with some nice salting of confusion, and uneasiness, about exactly _how close_ Raegdan and Luna were. The ride finished spectacularly with the reveal of what they wanted to do about the Elements of Harmony. Horror returned for an encore under the loud applause of concern for their mentality as well as the anxiety about… well, everything would have to cover it. The crazy buckers wanted to destroy the bucking Elements of Harmony.

Twilight's lips stiffened. She had to make sure she never said something like that aloud. Once was enough for this decade.

It is understandable that Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy shared in Applejack's feeling of the situation. They were going to help them of course, the girls because they owed Pinkie Pie's life to Raegdan and Luna, and Twilight because… of a decade of love. She wouldn't drop him off like a bad habit again. They would fix this situation, no matter what.

Twilight, after her mind had cleared a bit, glanced at the end of the room where they sat. It hurt her to look at him. He had really become a mess in the space of one day. The wounds from the fight, then his scuffle with her friends -thanks for reopening his stitches Rainbow- and then having to bleed himself even more blood to save Pinkie Pie, with a potential second or more times to come. His bruises, scars, and bloodied bandages were highlighted upon his now pale, white skin. There was no blood infusion to help him this time. Raegdan and Luna told them they only had a single bag in reserve, and they used it all up that same day. They had more, they said, but after the assassination attempt before this one, they destroyed them all rather than take the chance that any potential assassin actually had a speck of slight originality or somepony got his hoofs on something with that kind of potential. Raegdan had to endure as he was and hope Pinkie Pie wouldn't need much more of his blood.

Their path was clear. Step one was to make sure those two did not do things worse for themselves. Step two, find who was trying to kill them. Step three, help them.

Twilight had a step four in mind, but she wasn't going to tell the girls about that before they all had a good night's sleep.

Raegdan, of course, instead of resting for the remainder of the night, kept awake in full armor, standing guard outside the room as Luna slept. Luna, in her defense, tried to get him to be the one to rest -stars forbid they both trust anypony else to stay awake and guard them while they both slept- but apparently, even the Alicorn of the Night could not move the block headedness that answered to Raegdan when he truly made his mind.

* * *

Twilight awoke in the morning and along with Princess Celestia and Applejack, who insisted she tag along, they went to have a talk with a sleep deprived, hurting, and very pissed Raegdan who spent his night fuming over yesterday's events. Oh, the fun they were going to have. Twilight longed to wake the rest of her friends to participate in the joy of migraines.

How bad was it? Well, Twilight would have thought she could think up quite a few analogies to make her point. Imagine finding yourself having sleep-teleported into the middle of the Everfree or finding out that the original moustache spell had an extended understanding of lips. Celestia forbid it was as bad as breaking a Pinkie Promise right in front of her. But none of those could give the slightest understanding of the true scope of what greeted her. Just… well, the first thing Raegdan said to them as they came in front of him was not "good morning", "hello", or even a simple nod. No, the first thing he said?

"Hey Celestia. I am going to go kill Steadfast Ray in a little while, so can we hurry this up? We can all have breakfast together later." He even sounded all chipper about it!

Yeah. Such was the great glory that awaited Twilight today. At least, judging from the force that Applejack facehoofed herself with, she would have company in her misery. Twilight swore that everything they had agreed upon yesterday, said agreement being that both of them should try to be a little less reactive, was just going through their ears as a shortcut to the garbage bin.

Twilight put her hoof down and let down a sigh. It fell to her to try to be the voice of reason today. Raegdan spent about twenty minutes insisting that he would kill Commander Steadfast. Princess Celestia spent twenty minutes telling him "no" in no uncertain terms. Raegdan was evidently hearing her say "insist some more and I will let you go murder somepony". She woke up less than an hour ago, how was she so exhausted already?

"Raegdan," Twilight told him, "there is no way the Solar Guard tried to poison you as retaliation for yesterday. We went back to Luna's room immediately after the fight. They couldn't have done it."

Raegdan either still had doubts or didn't want to give up his plan of killing the Solar Commander. "They could have sneaked in at some point."

Applejack sneered at the idea. "What, they just made it past the two of ya? How? You were up there all day. What were you so busy with that you wouldn't notice somepony come in and fool around?"

Raegdan scratched at his chin, a small stubble now on it, broken in crags by small scars that didn't let hairs grow on them. He was thinking over the question. What could he and Luna be busy with-

Twilight's brain emptied a metaphorical bucket of bleach on itself in an effort to stop any unwanted mental images from forming. Rarity was _not_ right. The rest of her friends _were_ making fun of her. _This_ wasn't something that was happening.

"We did nap for an hour or so," he answered. Oh thank Celestia, Twilight thought with a thankful glance at her teacher beside her. "It would take some balls for them to try and get in, true. They couldn't know if we were indisposed or not. On the other hand, we didn't notice you coming in yesterday either," he said with a frown.

"Ok, big fella, but the fact remains that you don't know. It's way more probable that some other cretin -begging your pardon, your Majesty- did that while you were out of there. Maybe during the tournament, or sometime before. Am ah right?"

Princess Celestia nodded approvingly at Applejack's explanation. "Anyway, I do not believe that my Solar Guard would try something like that. They dislike you, even more since yesterday, but I doubt they would turn to underhooved measures. I trust Commander Steadfast to obey my orders not to take any hostile actions against you."

"Oh, yeah, that worked out great yesterday. Nice job," Raegdan answered sarcastically, followed with a short clap.

"Do we have to go through the same discussion, Raegdan? I have reprimanded him severely for his choice of actions. Even with his exemplary service so far and the fact that, unlike you, he accepted full responsibility for the outcome, I would have taken away his rank. But I could not do anything like that while Luna kept the other half of those responsible safe from even the slightest repercussion, could I? I wonder, does the phrase "you reap what you sow" have any meaning for you?"

"More than you know. But some people get to reap things they never planted in the first place."

"Like Heavy Hoof's daughter? I met with her yesterday, you know. A sweet filly. The last words her father told her was that he would be back soon. She asked me why her dad lied to her." Celestia sighed. "I am thousands of years old and I have no idea how you answer this question."

"You don't," Raegdan answered. "You just say that you don't know why and let them find out on their own when they grow up that this is how the world is."

He huffed and just stared at the wall for a minute, clearly lost in his thoughts. Twilight took a careful look at his eyes. They were bloodshot and large bags of skin were hanging beneath them. But he stood erect and attentive. Twilight remembered her childhood, Raegdan keeping awake over a scared Spike that had a nightmare, his presence giving the small dragon comfort. He would easily make it through the day without any rest, but he didn't usually go through a gauntlet as he did yesterday. He had to be feeling the effects, but… what was that Applejack told her he said? "If we give the slightest opening we will end up dead." Is that what this was? He refused to show weakness anywhere near public spaces?

Twilight looked at her surroundings. Maybe the corridor of the Castle Infirmary, outside the door of the room where Luna slept today, was not the best place to have this discussion. Raegdan had refused to move however.

"Ok, I'll concede that maybe, just maybe, to my eternal disappointment, it wasn't the Solar Guard behind this attempt." Twilight held her breath. Raegdan just slipped a little. Luna and he had urged them not to reveal to Princess Celestia that there had been more attempts at their life. They all objected to this; it served no purpose and would only stop them from getting more support from the Princess, but those two remained unmoved. Princess Celestia was to know only the bare minimum. Twilight wondered at the time if they also were allowed to learn only the bare minimum themselves.

Raegdan caught on to what he did. One of his eyes trembled for a half second as he waited along with Twilight and Applejack to see if Princess Celestia had realized what he had potentially revealed.

"Then in that case you will be happy to know that I have ordered the Royal Guard to find our culprit." Crisis averted.

And a new one just begun. "Oh, hell no," Raegdan told her in his gentle, polite way that he would prefer another option. "They are staying out this. Luna and I can look into this on our own-" Applejack gave a loud cough full of meaning, "along with some help from Twilight and her friends as they have so kindly offered. Lunar Guard, remember? Just because there is only one of me doesn't mean that I have less authority in your power structures, especially since I am by default my own Commander. Unless of course, your sister's decrees don't have quite the same… oomph that yours do?" Raegdan shamelessly baited Twilight's mentor.

Princess Celestia must have known she was being played but didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was smiling. A big, toothy grin that looked wrong on her. "Oh, Raegdan. Somepony just tried to poison my little sister, my student, her friends, and you. Did you really think I was going to do the guilty party the favor of keeping you out of it? You will be right there with them, the Royal Guard will just be doing most of the work. They have the means and experience."

Raegdan stopped leaning on the doorframe. He did not look happy even with this arrangement and his expression was getting outright murderous. The promise of personally finding those responsible was the only thing that had stopped him from going on an undiscriminating warpath. "I do not trust your Royal Guard. They stay out of this, that's final!"

Twilight racked her brain to find a way to stop him from digging himself in a deeper hole. Think brain, think! Distract him; how? Sprain your ankle, no, that's stupid, _break_ your ankle! Then while he is busy fawning over you, punch him on the back of his head.

Maybe Twilight just didn't have it in her to be the voice of reason. She should apply for voice of panic. Daisy, Rose, and Lily had the role well snagged in Ponyville, but Twilight believed she had the potential to go _national!_

Thankfully, Applejack managed to keep a straight head, so someone who could actually think, spoke for Raegdan. "How about Shining Armor? Raegdan trusts him, right? Can't they work together?" She flashed Raegdan a wide toothy smile that said "don't blow this".

Twilight couldn't believe she forgot about her brot- oh shoot, she hadn't even visited him to say hi had she?

They all turned to Princess Celestia, waiting for her decision.

The Alicorn of the Sun sighed, backed into a corner to make a decision she believed to be wrong. Twilight wasn't sure if it was the right one either, but there was a limit to how much Raegdan and Luna could be pushed. If she overdid it they would just lock her out and keep everything between them again. Then, one day, she would get a letter from the Princess that wrote that they were both dead.

§ § § § § § § § §

 _Dear Twilight Sparkle,_

 _I regret to inform you that Raegdan and Luna are dead. But their memory will live on. The charred remains of my castle and those of half of Canterlot will be a monument that will make sure they will never be forgotten by the few stragglers that managed to survive._

 _Your crippled teacher,_

 _Princess Celestia_

 _P.S. When Raegdan mentioned a chemical recipe that made a fire that could not be quenched with water, he wasn't joking._

§ § § § § § § § §

Twilight suspected she was beginning to develop some serious issues.

"Fine. You will have the personal help of Captain Armor and whatever resources you and him agree to use together. The rest of the Guard stays out of this until you decide otherwise. You will be in command of the investigation officially, as you asked, **but** Shining Armor has seniority. If he makes any suggestions, I _insist_ that you take them to heart. Oh, and stop petting your weapon. You are not allowed to ask questions with it until you have the actual pony who did it in your hands."

Raegdan crossed his arms over his chest with a pout. "You used to be fun once. Remember the times you put a sign that read "Complaint Department" around my neck, and had me stand next to your throne on the days you were overflowed with applicants?"

Celestia gave an embarrassed cough. "I, uh, needed to free some time in my schedule to teach Twilight, you know that."

"Why, yes. It cut down so much of the daily court that we could even head to Donut Joe's place." Princess Celestia started fidgeting. "Before you started on the lessons, I might add. We used to have fun together, Celestia. What happened?"

"You came at me with a spear," she said with a sad smile. Raegdan sighed in answer.

"I miss those days," he said wistfully.

"As do I. It's up to you if they will return."

"I am well aware."

"How are you feeling by the way?"

"Aw, you care. I'm fine," he shrugged. "I wish you guys had painkillers that actually worked on me, but I can take it. It's not like I have any other option anyway," he chuckled.

"I will brief Captain Armor on his new assignment and he will mee-" Princess Celestia was interrupted by a terrified shriek originating from the room behind Raegdan. Twilight couldn't believe her ears, but it sounded like… Luna!

Raegdan moved instantly. He grabbed the door handle and only paused briefly to give an order before he went inside. "No matter what, you do _NOT_ come in. Do you understand me, Celestia? _**Stay out!**_ " He thrust the door open and rushed inside, moving with a speed he rarely displayed, Luna's screams still echoing down the corridors.

Princess Celestia moved towards the door, but held back from opening it. Twilight moved as close as possible, striving to listen what was happening inside.

Raegdan's voice was loud and pleading, piercing through the Alicorn's wails. "Luna, it's me, it's **ME**! Wake up, you are here with me, come on! It's just a dream, Luna, you are not there! _Luna, wake up,_ _ **please**_ _!_ _ **Please, wake up!**_ "

The screams stopped and were replaced at once with loud, desperate sobbing. Twilight looked up at her teacher and paled at the sight.

Princess Celestia expression was one of grief and disbelief. Twilight had never seen the white Alicorn lose her calm like this.

"Oh, Luna. Why are you hiding from me? Why won't you let me help you?" she whispered to no one before turning around and leaving, her pace faster than normal.

Twilight didn't know what to think. She turned to Applejack, her posture asking for some answers. Applejack just shrugged.

Figures.

* * *

Twilight tried to emulate Princess Celestia. Keep your expression serene. Look as if you know what you are doing. Don't allow any of the inner tremors you feel make it to the surfac- _oh, sweet, dear-bucking-horseapplesonastick what did she just suggest?_

"Calm, remain calm. Lips straight with a slight hint of a smile. Eyes must have an inquisitive stare, as if you see and take interest in everything, but nothing surprises you. Maintain breathing at optimal rate; do NOT hyperventilate," Twilight chanted the mantra of "Princess Serenity" in her mind. It was working. If only she could consciously control her mane and stop it from slowly spiking in random directions, then she would be just peachy.

She really hoped the girls were buying the act. They were looking at her as if she just told them they should all go and jump onto some nice, not so fluffy, jagged rocks. In a sense, she did.

"Twilight, darling, let me see if I understand your proposal correctly," Rarity said. Twilight nodded, regally allowing the peasant to continue with her questions. "You want us to, and I have to stress this, _deliberately_ lie to Raegdan that we will be asking around on our own, while in reality we will -I can't believe this- we will be _snooping_ in their own rooms?"

Twilight nodded again. She did not trust her tongue yet.

Rarity got a fan out of somewhere and sat down heavily. Fluttershy raised her hoof, begging to ask a question.

Twilight discreetly swallowed before addressing her. "You have a question, Fluttershy?"

"Um, yes. I'm sorry, and really, don't take this the wrong way, but… do you have a deathwish?"

Twilight blinked. Wow, she… she did not expect that. "Rainbow, any questions from you?"

"Oh, no, I think my girl, Flutters, just covered all of my own. Well, I guess I could add, do you think we _also_ have a deathwish? Raegdan isn't gonna shy away from kicking our butts if he catches us, or worse, soap all of us. Whatever he does to us, he ain't gonna be gentle. My head still hurts and Rarity is wearing that dress for a reason."

Twilight sighed. She hoped it would be easier. Just point at a direction and they would follow with no questions. It never happened before, but it was a big universe. Probability had to collapse somewhere, right? At least they didn't know of Raegdan's more creative punishments. Then they would have galloped back to him to tattle her in an effort to save their flanks. She threw an epic tantrum once when she was thirteen because he didn't let her stay up later than usual. She had to spend the rest of the week walking around in pink spotted baby nappies and drink everything from a baby bottle. She only tried to take them off once, but stopped when she saw him grin evilly. At her relief, when Spike laughed at her, Raegdan forced him to endure the same, so he never felt the need to share this story.

The Princess held off any lessons and didn't meet with Twilight until the punishment was over. Twilight suspected that she heard about Spike's inclusion and didn't want to take the risk.

As it was, only Applejack had agreed to her plan. Twilight had no option now but to sin. She was going to bring physical evidence in a debate.

"Ok, girls. I didn't want to do this, but you forced my hoof. Do you see this?"

Rainbow squinted. "That's… a list?"

"Exactly. And what does that tell you?"

"That you are an egghead?"

Right. This was getting repetitive, insulting, and something she should have seen coming. "This is a list that I have written. It contains everything we know about Luna's and Raegdan's plans, their motives, who could possibly be a suspect for wanting them dead, and everything else we know."

"Let me see that, please," Rarity said and pulled the notebook towards her with her magic. She spent a few seconds examining it. "Twilight, the only things you have written here are; Render Elements useless, Render Elements useless, and everypony minus thirteen."

"Exactly," Twilight exclaimed satisfied. Finally, they were seeing the point. "We know nothing. We can't help them like this. I don't think they have told us the whole story. They must know more about who is after them. They can't have been living like that for a year and not have a single clue. We have no idea what they are after and thus no idea who could possibly want to stop them. Which I include ourselves in by the way. I can't understand why they are so dead set against the Elements. I don't buy in dad's speech that Applejack told us."

"Luna doesn't want them around either," Applejack added. "She sounded downright hateful about the fact we are connected with them."

"But this doesn't make sense!" Twilight was almost yelling in confusion. "She used to be linked to the Elements of Harmony herself. She and Celestia were the ones to trap Discord the first time. The Elements are what cleansed her of Nightmare Moon. Why does she want them gone now?"

"Umm, when I was a little filly, there was a small closet on the wall of my room," Fluttershy said. Everypony's attention shifted to her with the sudden change of topic. Fluttershy lowered her head at the attentiveness but continued. "I was… really afraid of it at night. I accidentally locked myself in it once and, afterwards, always kept thinking that one night Nightmare Moon would jump out of there and drag me back inside." Twilight was instantly reminded of her own childhood fears. "I… told my dad one day, and when I came back home, he had taken off the door and filled in the closet, turning it all into a solid wall. It didn't matter to my dad if I was right to be afraid of it or not. He just removed it with no questions asked."

"That's a sweet story about your dad, Fluttershy, but I don't understand what it has to do with all this," Twilight told her friend.

"Maybe… maybe Raegdan is doing the same with the Elements of Harmony? Maybe Luna is afraid and Raegdan wants to..."

Twilight didn't get it. What the hay was that supposed to mean?

Rarity however seemed to connect some dots while listening to this story. She didn't look like she liked it though. "The screams you told us about! Twilight… Twilight, tell me, please. Is there a chance… is there the slightest chance, that Luna was conscious while she was banished?"

Understanding dawned like a baleful sun, scorching all her other thoughts, leaving Twilight with nothing but the apprehension of true horror.

One thousand years. One thousand years of solitude. Alone. Completely and utterly alone. No one to talk to, no one to talk to you. No voices, not even your own. Because Luna had been banished. She would have no control of her limbs because _there were no limbs_ for her to control. She had been infused with the moon. All she could sense for one thousand years was just the unmoving surface, the millions of tons of rock… and her own thoughts. How… how did she manage to survive? She should have been a gibbering mess as soon as she returned.

What was she doing during that millennium? Did she try to busy her mind with past memories of her life? Was she trying to find a way to break out without her magic? Did she make plans for her return?

Did she keep screaming with nopony to hear her for one thousand years?

How did her mind manage to stay whole? The amount of mental fortitude Luna must have had to endure this…

It wasn't entirely enough, was it? The way she screamed a few hours ago. Twilight now knew what Luna had been dreaming of. Raegdan hadn't been surprised at all. He knew exactly what to do. He rushed in to wake her up. It had almost been an hour since the crying stopped. Neither of them had come out yet. Twilight didn't dare enter the room before, stout in staying outside because of the way Raegdan forbid them to. Now? She was afraid to have her suspicions confirmed beyond any doubt. How often did that happen? Once a month? Once a week? Every night? Was this the real reason why Raegdan didn't move from her door, not even a single step down the corridor? Was he waiting for this to happen, for the moment when he had to run to Luna's aid to comfort her?

Raegdan's propensity to spend all his time by Luna's side, practically glued to her, now made sense. He was doing everything he could, fighting to keep her sane in a new world where everypony hated her and ponies wanted her dead.

Raegdan liked very few ponies. He loved even less. Before the last days events she would have limited that list to herself, Spike, and Celestia. She wasn't entirely sure if Princess Celestia was still on that list, but she believed that she was. Raegdan, for some reason -a reason she was beginning to suspect she knew what it was- was angry, extremely angry with her. If he still didn't care for her, he wouldn't limit his displeasure to occasional shouting, snark, and foul language when talking to her, Princess or not.

But this list now included Luna. There was no doubt. Raegdan, somehow, had come to care deeply for Luna, who -if they were correct- was rightfully terrified of the Elements of Harmony. It didn't matter if they would never use them on her again. Just the fact that they were still out there would be enough to drive her mad with fear. Raegdan knew this. So now, Raegdan believed that the Elements of Harmony were a mental danger for Luna, and a physical danger for Twilight. If Twilight's darkest thoughts were true, if that was what Luna had gone through… oh, heavens help them, if it was true...

Raegdan would sooner burn the world than allow this to continue. If something was threatening or scaring somepony Raegdan loved… "I am not a scientist. I am no doctor." That's what he said last night. That's what he always said. It really left a lot of options about what he used to be, didn't it? Even if he wasn't something like what she feared, Twilight believed it made no difference.

Whatever Raegdan had gone through before in the past, it must have taught him some tricks or given him ideas. Ideas that could be backed up with the magic strength of a desperate Alicorn. Twilight still remembered his claim that if you knew enough, you could cast a spell that could cut through metal as if it was mist. That was an offhand comment. If Raegdan really wanted to, with Luna's help, he could perform the stuff of nightmares. There was a reason he was extremely careful of what he shared, even if he knew so little as he claimed. The small hints of what he could unleash with some help had panicked even Princess Celestia. She did not fear him just because he broke a lot of bones.

Rainbow spoke in a hush. "I'm… overthinking this, right? It can't be as bad as I think?"

"Rainbow, dear, I don't think we can ever come close to imagining how horrible it truly was if that really happened." Rarity's voice trembled.

Fluttershy was on the verge of tears. "I just thought that… she was afraid to be away again. That's- that's horrible!"

"Oh darn, that's why your pa… Twilight, Raegdan really meant what he said, didn't he? We need to tell Princess Celestia what happened to her sister," Applejack urged. "Those two are really going to-"

Rarity stopped her with a hoof to her mouth. "We are not telling Princess Celestia. Raegdan for once has the right idea!"

"Pardon? Are ya crazy? She needs to know!" Applejack said

Rarity swiped at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Know what? Are you going to tell her that what she thought was an act of mercy -one that she already feels guilt for- locked her sister in a thousand years of agony? How do you think Princess Celestia will feel? We don't know if she can even help Luna any more than Raegdan does already. He obviously knows what happened."

"Well, when ya put it like that…"

Rainbow added her own two bits. "Princess Celestia was the one who did this to her. I don't think Luna would like to talk about that with her anyway. It would be pretty awkward and all."

"But…," Fluttershy said, "she seems fine, doesn't she? She is staying apart most of the time but she joins in and laughs sometimes."

"I doubt she thinks about it all the time," Rarity answered. "Raegdan probably keeps her busy to stop her from dwelling on it. But it has to always be there, in the back of her mind. And when she forgets herself, or goes to sleep…"

"That's it," Twilight announced, breaking the girls from their own visions of Luna's suffering. "We are going to Luna's tower now! Fluttershy, stay here with Pinkie. Shining Armor should be coming by soon. If Raegdan and Luna come out and we are not back yet, stall them. Don't let them leave before we are back. We don't want to get caught. Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, let's go."

* * *

Twilight scanned the page. Raegdan wasn't joking. The writing was obviously shifting from one language to another. Not only that, but they were also using different alphabets, Raegdan was radically changing his hoofwriting in random sentences, or he was just plain bucking with whoever would try to translate this, and just wrote it all in gibberish. This seemed impossible. She couldn't discern a single word that she could use as a starting point. It would take her days to just separate every letter to their possible corresponding alphabet and language.

They had been in the study where they first found Raegdan for an hour now. Well, Twilight and Rarity were. Applejack and Rainbow quickly left to search elsewhere when they saw Twilight gleefully taking a page down from the wall and taking a seat. Rarity was spending her time in front of the extremely large mirror, primping herself.

The door opened and her missing friends came back inside to break her concentration. "Nothing," Applejack said, "everything's normal. There was nothing hidden anywhere. Granted, we couldn't just dig up everywhere or they might notice later, but ah really think we are not going to find anything elsewhere in here."

"Did you find a second bedroom?" Rarity asked in a sing-song voice while brushing her mane.

"Nope."

Rarity gave Twilight a meaningful look.

"That means nothing. He could very well be sleeping on a chair, the floor, or they might be taking turns resting. Stop doing that to me, _please_!" Twilight begged.

"Oh, Twilight. She is a mare all alone, suffering, and has a stallion all day long next to her that understands her and shares her hurdles willingly. It's only natural that they give in under all that stress and seek comfort-"

"NO! This is not one of your romance novels, Raegdan doesn't think of Luna like that, and there is no way in Tartarus this ever happened. Now, let me read."

"Found anything, Twilight? What do all those papers say?" Rainbow was in a room with books and notes for all of ten seconds and she already sounded bored.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. She had been trying to glare the words into meaning by the end. It didn't work out very well for her. "Nothing. They could have a detailed list of everything we are trying to find out, and I could not read it. I don't even know where to begin."

Applejack was trotting along the walls, examining the papers tacked on them. Her frown was deepening as she went along.

"Applejack, anything wrong?" Twilight asked.

Applejack moved to the midpoint of the wall and was looking right and left at the notes. "You could say that, ah reckon. There are only eight or ten pages of notes here."

Rainbow waved her hoof at the walls that were filled with over a hundred of pages. "You should do a recount, AJ. I think you might have missed a couple."

"Nope, ah didn't," Applejack said. Her frown had been replaced by a self satisfied smirk. "There's only ten or so, at best. They just repeat over and over."

Twilight didn't cast a teleport, but to the naked eye it would make no difference. One second she sat at the chair, the next she was right next to Applejack. She scrutinized every page, looking for confirmation. The page she had been studying was here… and here… and there, there, there… Applejack was right.

"How the hay did you notice that?" she asked with wonder. The pages were so indecipherable, and similar to each other, that even now she could barely notice the repeat. This was expertly done. They had even added some sketches in random points to confuse the eye even more.

"Patterns," Applejack said. "I'll explain some other time. Let's just say that having to check a few hundred of identical trees for signs of trouble every day, tends to leave you with a talent for seeing this kind of stuff."

Rainbow called out to Rarity. "Hey, miss Glamour, careful over there, ok? If you wear that mirror out, Raegdan will kick your flank."

"Oh, please, Rainbow. I am not going to repeat dear Pinkie's mistake. I'm just making sure my coiffure is in place."

"Yeah, but he- huh, he really cared for that mirror, didn't he?" Twilight watched as Rainbow was the one to scowl suspiciously now. What was wrong with Twilight today? Did she wake up on the stupid side of bed? Everyone seemed to be noticing things she did not.

Rainbow flew to the gigantic mirror, inspecting the frame. "Rainbow, what are you looking for?" Twilight asked.

"A lever or a button."

"What for?" asked Rarity beneath Rainbow.

"Every evil lair has at least one secret door. I bet this is it." Rainbow's explanation dumped Twilight's spirits. She had been hoping that Rainbow had noticed something of use. Not go off on one of her fantasies where the world was covered with trapdoors, "evil lairs", and hidden treasures. Any moment now, she would claim that the entrance to Luna's real rooms was in the middle of the hedge maze in the gardens and she would demand they march down there to sea-

"Found it!" Rainbow said triumphantly, and with a click the mirror frame swiveled silently on hidden hinges.

Son of a bitch!

* * *

That metal sphere… the way its surface was cracked in a grid pattern, the little knob with the small metal loop at the end, the curved lever at its side… it looked so… sciency! Twilight had to grab it, hold it, and analyze it for the sake of scholars everywhere. As soon as Rainbow's mouth stopped clamping on her tail.

"Twilight, what the hay do you think you are doing?" Rainbow shouted through her gritted teeth.

"I just want to take a look. I'll put it back later, I swear!"

Rainbow spit out her tail. Twilight did a quick flick to get rid of the saliva. "Twilight, look around you! This is a bucking armory. We shouldn't be touching this stuff!"

She was right of course. The rooms were completely dark, but as soon as they stepped inside and closed the secret door, magical bright white lights turned themselves on, leaving no trace of shadows. There were rows of what could only be called weapons, judging by the way they were stacked. She recognized quite a few of them. There were the usual weapons, blades, maces, hammers, spears, axes, hoofblades, wingblades, and more. But there were some unusual ones too.

There were some bows for one. Ponies did not use bows. It was easier for unicorns to cast an offensive spell than to try to shoot with one of the ballistic machines. Earth ponies and pegasi did not use them much either. The need to spike them to the ground to use them meant that they were useless for anything except hitting a static target. These ones however, did not have the long spike she knew of. They were possibly made for Raegdan's use. She had seen him leaving for his hunts with a carved piece of wood when she was younger. She realized now that it was a bow left stringless. He was probably very good with those by now.

There were rows of small, hoof sized metal spheres, the kind that enraptured her before. They were different colors, and some of them were designed slightly differently. Some were shaped as cylinders. A kind of slingshot ammunition maybe? Twilight could detect some dormant spells in them, but couldn't figure out what the trigger for them was.

Some things she couldn't understand or guess at all. Like two metal canisters that were tethered together with a kind of netting hanging from them. A flexible long pipe connected them with a peculiar metal tube that had strange bits and pieces extruding from it.

There were jars and boxes scattered around. Near the canisters she found a container with rock oil. Its fumes were making her eyes itch. In a cardboard box next to it she found… soap? There were crystals, probably mined from Mount Canterlot itself. Coils of wire and metal junk had been piled together with them, probably as a project they haven't gotten into yet. More jars were filled with acids. She found a long roll of parchment, but her excitement faded when she saw it was just inscribed with copies of extremely tiny runework. Why even get into the trouble to do that? Runes were useless on soft materials that could not handle the magic pressures and you could not carve them so small with the attention to detail needed. Mineral samples where thrown around. She found a few a magnets among them. Copper ore was piled in great quantities.

Another box had a note on it. "Find large empty area to mix this." Inside, she found a bunch of long, empty tube containers, painted red, and a bag of sawdust. There was nothing else.

On a long table there were more metal tubes. It looked like a work in progress. A sketch was on one side. Twilight examined it and saw they were trying to come up with some kind of clockwork that would move small, metal cylinders in sequence, loading them into a metal pipe. They didn't seem to have a lot of luck with it or just decided to abandon it. Dust was gathering on the table.

On the table next to it she discovered what was probably meant to be Raegdan's new weapon. It was sparkling new. They had cannibalized rods and wooden handles to make a ragtag, longer, heavier version of his hammer. The end result was blocky and the spike at its side was missing the gentle curve of his smaller one. But with the heavier weight, and greater reach, this would be a true killer.

"Hey, Twilight, come check this out!" Rainbow called from the second room of this hidden compartment. She found all the girls gathered around a pair of armors.

One of them was obviously made for Luna. It resembled her Nightmare Moon assemble, but it would cover her form much more thoroughly. Luna had obviously gone the route that Raegdan preferred and traded speed and movement for more protection. Twilight could detect the starting steps of complex enchantments on it.

The one next to it was almost identical to the one Raegdan currently wore. The plating was thicker and it was a bit wider. Probably in an effort to insert adequate padding between the metal and his body. She noticed that parts that were previously lightly armored now had thick plates covering them too. The sheen of it was.. off, like the one made for Luna. There was no trace of magic on this one, but she didn't expect to find anything either. Enchanting something that Raegdan would wear was a practise in futility.

She looked to the side. Small rectangles of metal were positioned on yet another small table. They looked different. Twilight moved to inspect them.

"I know he was doing fine with the one he has now, but will be able to even take a step with this one? It looks like it's twice as heavy," Rainbow was saying.

There seemed to be two different versions of steel here. Twilight lifted them with her hoofs, trying to judge their respective weight. It was very different. She noticed a metal spike at the end of the table. She summoned it towards her.

"I don't think he will have any troubles with it," Twilight told her. "If I'm guessing correctly, that one might even be a little lighter."

She used her telekinesis to push the spike with as much force as possible through what she suspected was the normal metal they used for armor. It took effort and a build up of speed, but it pierced it. She repeated the process with the lighter piece of metal. It left a very small, shallow dent, but did not manage to go through.

"Wow. What is that?" asked Rainbow.

"I have no idea," Twilight admitted. "Probably some new steel alloy. It's very light and stronger than what we currently have."

"Oh, how horrid!" Rarity exclaimed. Twilight and Rainbow Dash turned around. Rarity and Applejack had opened a cabinet and were reading some papers they found in it.

"Did you find something we can actually read?" Twilight was excited. This could be their chance to find something of substance.

Rarity had become almost entirely green. Applejack also looked sick. "It's… Twilight, I am sorry, but Raegdan and Luna are entirely mad. If this is what they are coming up with in their free time…" Rarity shivered violently.

Twilight took hold of the papers she was holding. It looked like a plan to kill… Discord? They had noted down different possibilities. From smashing the statue he was currently turned into, to using some of those weapons they had stashed in the other room, to some strangely named spells. A checklist of more things to build was written at the end, but none of the names made sense to her. The last option available, called "last resort before atom split", was...

Twilight had to fight to keep herself from throwing up when she turned the page around.

They had written down details on how they should cut off Raegdan's left arm for maximum effectiveness. Schematics followed it, with possibilities of how to use his bones, flesh, and blood to craft weaponry. Fingerbones turned to arrowheads, forearm bones turned to a long blade or daggers, the rest of the bones grinded into small cylinders with a sharp ending. His skin stretched over a small shield, blood stashed into small breakable vials. Muscles and tendons turned into strands of garrote and thin rope.

It was one of the most horrible things Twilight had ever seen with her own eyes, and Raegdan was planning to do it to himself.

She gulped. She didn't want to find out more. But her curiosity… "Are there… more of those?"

"No," Applejack answered. Rarity had moved away from the macabre cabinet, refusing to nose around in there any more than she already had. "They seem to have made incomplete plans on how to kill some other things, like dragons, ursas, and stuff, but nothing they paid as much attention to as that. There is also a note mentioning Alicorns, but they got nothing written on it. There are a lot of other papers in here though."

Twilight started pulling everything out. That was… peculiar and extremely random. Travelogues? Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Vanhoover, Baltimare… what did they need from these? Reports, from- reports? Those belonged in the Royal Archives! She spread them around. They made no sense either. Everything was random. Population census, employment statistics, death certificates, missing ponies reports, trade agreements, immigration, taxes, Royal Guard reports from around Equestria, orphanage listings, Noble houses, land owners. It was a potpourri of nonsense.

Rainbow was checking out another notepad. "Rarity is right. I think those two are pretty insane. These look like they plan to break into a house with a hoofball team."

"What?"

"Here, check this out," Rainbow said and shoved one of the papers in question in front of her face. It was a top-down view of a large residence. Circled numbers had arrows pointing routes of entry and movement from different sides. There was a phrase written on top.

"Special weapons and tactics?" she read aloud.

"Maybe that's what they plan to call their team? You know, something for the Lunar Guard to kick off and relax in the evening. Or morning. I guess they will be working night shifts," Rainbow said.

"Does it feel to anypony else as if those two are gearing up for war?" Applejack asked.

"They want the Elements of Harmony out of the way, right?" said Rainbow. "This might be what they are planning to replace them with."

Rarity offered her own opinion on the matter. "If this is the alternative I'd rather stick with my necklace, thank you. The Elements do not kill. Those two instead seem to be going straight for the final solution. This is all too much, and I don't think they are even half done. Applejack is right. This doesn't feel as if they are just thinking up defensive measures. "

"Well," Applejack drawled, "y'all gotta admit though, they don't seem to want to half-flank this. Ah mean, if they can find a way to put down a fella like Discord, it would be kinda hard to argue that we definitely need the Elements, right? Plus, if they are willing to go after the nasties in the countryside at least, they got my vote for that."

Twilight scoffed at the idea. "I don't think Equestria needs a Lunar Guard to take care of that. Attacks in the wild are really uncommon."

Applejack stopped her wandering around the room and walked up to Twilight. "Ok, Ah just gotta ask. What the hay are you and Shining Armor talking about?"

"What do you mean, Applejack? I am talking about the monster attacks that Luna and Raegdan claim they want to stop. I have checked the reports. There are basically almost none."

"Is that what your reports say, Twily? Well, Ah got some news for you. I sell apple pies."

Twilight blinked and waited. She waited some more. "So what-"

Applejack continued now that she interrupted her. "I sell them at Ponyville, but most of my sales come from villages spread around. It's actually quite a big income boost which is the only reason Big Mac and I keep doing it. Do you have any idea what we go through?"

"No…"

"Well, let me tell you then. _Hell_. The roads are crawling with them nasties. Last time, I got jumped by a chimera. Big Mac had to abandon his cart to a wyvern, and it drove us in the red for a week. I've seen timberwolves, plain wolves, manticores, chimeras, wyverns, sphinxes, wyrms, you name it."

"But… did you report those? Didn't the Guard help?"

"The Guard? Sugarcube, the Guard won't go against a nest of wyverns unless they know with one hundred percent certainty they killed a pony and have no other choice. That means, if I get eaten while on the road, and nopony sees me actually getting attacked, or find my remains, I get written down as missing. If you wander off deep in the countryside it's considered your own stupid mistake."

"This makes no sense, Applejack. Those creatures must be coming out of the Everfree. Things aren't like that all over Equestria. If it was, how would things like trade continue?"

Rainbow chuckled above her.

"What?" Twilight asked.

"Uh, you do know that it's the pegasi that take care of that stuff, right? And even we have to form up large groups when carrying a lot of stuff that really slows us down. Most ponies use the trains now anyway. They are safe and they keep the tracks clean. I do some deliveries when I need some extra bits. I'm one of the few who are fast enough to do it solo," Rainbow said.

"So… they were right about that?"

Applejack nodded.

"I never heard anypony mention that things are so bad," Rarity said.

"Doubt you would have. City folk probably don't have to worry about that, and neither do all those who can afford transportation like the train for every little thing. It's mostly the small villages and those of us who have to cut corners by traveling on hoof that know firsthoof how badly something like Luna's Lunar Guard is needed. Something pro-active as Luna said. Those who don't know and try chancing the countryside anyways, well, they go on the missing pile more often than not. I just expected that Shining Armor would know better."

"If that's what all of this is for though, why are they hiding it all up?" Rainbow asked. That was the million bit question, right? Why all this secrecy?

They checked the last of the three large rooms that were hidden by the mirror. It was their personal smithy and workshop. Twilight doubted they had gotten anything in here through legal means. In one corner she spotted discarded pieces of Guard armor. A lot of the gear, like the furnace, seemed to have been customized and enhanced with a mixture of magic, strange apparatuses, and materials.

How much did they manage to do in a single year? They had built those rooms, all those strange devices, those plans, they trained Raegdan, forged armors from an unknown steel alloy, and heaven knows what else. Were they sleeping at all?

Luna's screams briefly echoed in her skull. Probably not. They must have done what Twilight herself did when she had a problem she wasn't sure how to deal with. Thrown themselves to work, trying to cover everything they could think of.

Twilight went back to examine the armor. They had put on a small show of regretting the use of subpar armor yesterday, and all the while they had this monster hiding right here. Why? What else did they hide? Twilight took notice of the fact that they hadn't found any spell notes. They must have made something for Luna to use too. The fact that they didn't feel comfortable writing it down somewhere worried her. What spells had Luna crafted with Raegdan's guidance?

"There is nothing here that can help us figure out if they have any idea who is trying to kill them, is there?" asked Rarity.

Twilight shook her head. "No. I think they stopped writing at one point or destroyed most of their notes. Paranoia, probably. We might find something if we look harder, but I don't want to disturb too much."

"Hey, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you," said Rainbow.

Were they? They had been acting in front of them before. Was it possible that the poison was a part of their plans? Endanger one of them, then spectacularly save them with the resources only they had available? She could almost believe that, if she wasn't certain that Raegdan would never put her and Spike into a potentially dangerous situation like that.

What if Luna acted on her own though? Would she have done that? Could she slip that by Raegdan? Killing one of them would certainly remove the threat of the Elements of Harmony from her mind. Would she risk Raegdan's friendship for that?

What about her friends? Raegdan and Luna had considered a lot of options. The easiest way to get rid of the Elements of Harmony, in the short term at least, was to… get rid of _them_. Raegdan would not want to do that, not to Twilight's friends, for her sake. But if they ran out of choices… would Raegdan trade one, or more, of her friends' lives for Luna's peace of mind?

Rarity interrupted her thoughts. "I believe we may have overstayed our welcome. I vote we put everything the way we found them and hurry back. I don't want either of them to find us in here."

Nopony argued with that.

"There are other places we can search later. Raegdan's old room for instance." Applejack whipped her head towards Twilight. Did she think he slept at the dungeons before? "There is also a basement below the dungeons that he used to… prepare meat for storage. Nopony goes down there, ever. It would make a good place to stash something."

* * *

The walk back to the infirmary was filled with hushed discussion. Should they confront Raegdan and Luna about their hidden armory? In the end, they decided not to. It would only lead to distrust from them. For now, they had to focus in helping them figure out who wanted them dead. That confrontation could follow afterwards.

They headed to Pinkie Pie's room first. They all wanted to see if their friend had woken up yet. The sight that welcomed them, before they even headed in, was unanticipated.

Dozens of ponies had gathered in the room, some of them standing by the entrance, looking in. Twilight and her three friends forced their way in and gaped at the sight. Pinkie Pie was awake, leaning on a mound of pillows, awake and paying attention to the armored figure with wide, wonder filled eyes.

The room's light was off, the curtains closed, casting the room in darkness. The only light came from Luna's horn as she used her magic to cast an illusion of a dark tower on a barren landscape. Dark, bipedal figures were moving in the distance and two red glares were brightening the distant horizon, the only color in the hellish landscape.

There was something strange about the way Luna shaped the magical field...

Besides Luna, sat Raegdan in full kit. He kept his helmet on, the flickering lights creating moving shadows on his armor, the timbre of his voice changed by the enclosure of metal around his mouth. He moved his arms as he spun his tale, enrapturing his audience with the story he shared. He was a faceless, dark figure, crafting a world before their eyes.

Judging from the way Shining Armor sat in front, his front hooves wrapped around himself as he smiled with childish glee, Twilight knew what story Raegdan told them. Spike was curled up at his side, sharing his excitement.

Twilight spotted Fluttershy in a corner and moved towards her.

"Fluttershy, what is going on here? Why are all those ponies here?" she asked.

"Oh, umm, you told me I had to stall Raegdan and Luna so…" Fluttershy petered off.

Twilight insisted. "How did you talk him into this?"

"It was Pinkie," Fluttershy explained, a pony shushing her to lower her voice even more. "She woke up and was in pain. She was scared and… she asked if we could bring the Cakes or her parents here. I didn't know what to do, so I…"

"So you, what?" Twilight had forgotten that Pinkie would be hurting when she woke. They could not cast pain numbing spells on her, not let her drink any potions. The poison was still in her and it still had the potential to grow strong with magic again.

"I asked her if she would be ok if I brought your dad instead." Twilight blinked. Fluttershy got Raegdan to come and… comfort Pinkie? He agreed? She didn't know if she should feel disbelief or joy.

Fluttershy kept talking. "Raegdan didn't want to come at first. He said he couldn't help like that, but Luna got him to agree somehow. He couldn't do anything for the pain so he started telling her stories. He really reminds me of my own dad," Fluttershy said with a smile. "When Shining Armor came in, he took a seat and hasn't moved since. Luna then told Spike to go around the medical wing and bring over as many ponies as he could. They all seem to like it," she said with a grin.

Twilight turned back to watch the show. He couldn't be telling the whole story. It would take him hours. He must have chosen a part of it in random. But it was a good choice. She sat back to watch and listen.

"...the ring's weight burdened him, but he carried on. He was small, weak, and tired, but still he moved forward. He looked up to the black tower that stood before him. How could he, someone so small and alone, stand before the shadow? His eyes looked at the landscape across him, the black land he would have to cross to reach a destination he would probably never return from. He wasn't sure how he would manage this, but he would. The world's hope now laid on the shoulders of a small gardener, surrounded by darkness." One of the red points in the distance of Luna's illusion flared. Red streaks flowed upwards to the black clouds.

"His friend," Raegdan told them, his voice low, as if afraid to speak up. Everypony's head leaned a bit more forward. "He would not abandon his friend. First he would climb that hellish tower, filled with enemies that would have his head. His friend might be dead, or he might be alive. He would either save him or close his eyes and kiss his forehead goodbye before marching to his doom alone. That was his path. His friend came first, the world after. The ring weighted him down, calling him to use it, but the little gardener ignored it easily. Kings, wizards, and great powers of the world feared that seducting call, but he gave it no mind. He only had his friend on his mind, no temptation of power could sway him again."

"He charged through the black gate. Fear started to descend upon him. He could hear their grunts, their presence pressing around him. Doubt started to fill him. He would die here. He needed help. What could one as he do? His hand started heading for the ring hanging from his throat." The crowd was shaking their head, urging the little hero to not give in to the temptation. The illusion had changed. They were now in the tower itself, red flames lighting the room. Broken shadow figures moved on the walls.

"His hand changed direction at the last moment, going to his pocket. From it, he pulled the vial that contained the light of a star of the night sky. Their brightest they had called it. It was now dim, drowning in the darkness and hopelessness of this land. He almost broke at the sight. But then, something in him woke up. The sun, stars, and moon sprang into his mind. The fields and flowers of his home. The smiles of his friends. His little garden. And he did the only thing he could do. On the threshold of the Dark Lord, death, despair, and shadow, the little gardener from a peaceful land started to sing."

Pinkie Pie broke the reverie, her voice cracked and dry. "What song did he sing? Was it a nice song?" Raegdan didn't answer immediately. He just looked at Pinkie Pie, his expression hidden behind metal.

Twilight studied her friend too. Pinkie Pie was hurting, but she ignored it as she listened to the story. She was still scared. She could see it behind her eyes. It shook her. Pinkie Pie never seemed to be afraid of anything. Had she realized how close to death she had come? That she was only saved by a miracle?

Raegdan kept silent. The crowd was waiting still. Raegdan nodded to Pinkie Pie and then to Luna. He got up from his seat, towering over the seated ponies. Twilight watched as Raegdan did something he had never done before, not before anypony but her and Spike. He spread his arms slightly, imposing in his dark armor, lifted his covered head upwards, and sang.

He didn't have a great voice. He could sing if he tried but nopony would call his performance spectacular. Not unless he was doing what he did now. Nopony had ever heard Raegdan speak his language in anything but short bursts. He didn't speak in the broken way he did Equestrian. His gruff voice rose from his chest and his mouth shaped the sound into soft syllables that ponies did not have. His teeth cut the words with sharp indentations that pulled the ear's attention. The broken awkward accent was gone, and replaced by confidence.

What ensnared them all was the antithesis in his kind's songs of what Equestria's had.

Sang Pony songs were happy tunes. They relied on the ambient magic to enhance them and bring music into their ears. They sang of harmony and cheer, of love and friendship, of good feelings, because that was what the magic responded to. If a song was not somehow positive to the one who sang, it would not exist.

Raegdan's kind instead took sorrow, pain, anger, and hurt, and made diamonds out of them.

Raegdan's voice rose as he started his song. He did not have magic to guide him and accompany him. He only had his voice. And he shaped it with his heart, language, and lips, twisting sadness and grief into something beautiful. It was something that nopony had ever thought to do.

Loneliness and longing filled the room, wonder and craving for something lost. He brought all of them into gloom and had them dive into the darkness of despair. For a few seconds everypony knew the loss of hope. But the shadow did not last for long. Assurance and defiance rose up, and at the end a short, bright ray of hope shined. As he weaved his magicless spell, Luna created an illusion of a decorated, round glass bottle in front of him, filled with a dim light, but slowly brightening as he went on.

His voice faded to nothingness. Nopony dared to move. The vial of light was attracting everypony's eyes until Raegdan brought his hand forward and closed his fist around it, smothering the magic. The only light now came from the entrance, Luna's still lit horn, and her starry mane and tail. The eyes of some ponies shone wet in the meagre light.

Raegdan slowly sat down. "They could not stand before the light and the song. The enemies abandoned their own tower in a panic," he whispered. "They did not see a frightened gardener with a short sword, but a brave lord, standing before them with stars woven in his hair and wielding a fearsome, long, silver blade. They ran, afraid and bewildered. And at the top of the now deserted tower, the little gardener heard his friend, alive, singing back to him. They reunited, and together, small, weak, and tired, facing the greatest darkness, they marched on to do their part to save their world. But no longer alone. No longer hopeless." His arm reached for Luna's side. "For now they remembered that the shadow was small and brief; for there was true beauty and light above, and stars that would shine forevermore."

The spell was broken when a doctor came in and turned on the lights. Ponies shook their heads, as if waking from a dream. Shining Armor gave off an audible whine as story time came to an end.

"I'm sorry everypony, but you have to leave. It is time for Miss Pie's therapy. Come on now, out you go, back to your rooms," the doctor called.

As everypony left, Twilight could hear them murmur about the story. Some of them were inviting each other to stargaze tonight and share the alien story with their friends. Luna waved them all off. "We hope that you enjoyed this tale, my little ponies. Mayhaps we share the whole tale one night soon, if you are interested." Most of them seemed accepting of the idea, a few of them even cheered.

"You clever bastards," Twilight thought.

Pinkie Pie looked much better. The story, and promise of therapy that would lessen her aches, had obviously cheered her up. "What kind of therapy are we doing today, doc?"

"The same one we did last night, Pinkie," the unicorn doctor answered her.

"Neat!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "What do we do?"

Rainbow Dash and Rarity started gagging in disgust.

"Huh?"

"Doctor," Raegdan called out. He hadn't moved from his position. He was sitting on his chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his helmet was facing straight down. "Do you think we can do this a bit later? Give me ten or fifteen minutes?"

"Well," the doctor said, eyeing Rarity's and Rainbow's reaction. "It might be better I give you some time anyway to personally explain to Miss Pie what the procedure actually entails," he said with a grimace. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He turned back and left, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed Raegdan took off his helmet and gently put it down. As he slumped even lower he used his hands to massage his head.

"There is no way I am doing this again," he told them.

"Come on, big guy, it wasn't that bad," Applejack tried to encourage him. "You yarned a fancy tale and that song was beautif..ul…"

Applejack's attempt drained away at the forbidding look Raegdan was giving her. "You have no idea," he told her, "how much this hurt. I had this story almost memorized. I knew everything about it. I had even learnt one of the languages some characters in that world speak. And now, I can't even remember some of the most important names. That song was one of my favorites and I had to replace lyrics with nonsense. Do you know what that felt like?"

"It's not that bad as you make it, my dear," Rarity said. "You are making a big deal out of nothing."

"Not a big deal?" he hissed. Rarity took a step away from him. "I will never read this story again. I have no way to remember what I forgot. I will never hear a real song again that I didn't wreck myself. And I had to be reminded of everything in front of those.. those… why should they… they are not even…" he growled with intense frustration, failing to put into words what really troubled him.

"I am sorry, Raegdan," Luna apologized. "I knew you would be uncomfortable with this, but it was too good a chance to pass up. If I had known how much-"

Raegdan cut her off. "Not your fault. It's been decades. I am an idiot for letting something small like that affect me. Just… I have some bad memories associated with telling stories." He rubbed his eyes with his palms.

Spike spoke up. "I thought you liked telling them. You never seemed to mind before."

"I wasn't… alone, before. I used to… tell these stories to another, before I arrived here, little flame. I don't like giving this privilege to just anyone," he reluctantly explained.

Twilight realized her mistake. She never told the girls. Princess Celestia had made it clear to her to never ask him personal questions, especially about people he might be missing. It would do no good and only hurt him. If one of them asked him now-

"Your family?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight closed her eyes. Of all the times Fluttershy could choose to speak up…

She opened her eyes again to see Raegdan staring straight at her. "In a way," he said.

He emphatically turned away from Fluttershy and towards Luna. "So, did it work?"

"What worked?" asked a confused Rainbow Dash.

Twilight was reminded of Luna's spellcasting. She had understood halfway during the show what she was doing. She was good, extremely good, to hide spells within spells, especially of such different workings.

"Luna wasn't casting just an illusion," Twilight explained. "She was also performing a mind altering spell, wasn't she?"

Raegdan's face was split in half by a wide smile. "See, Luna?" He elbowed the Alicorn lightly. "I told you my girl was good!"

"Your girl also happens to know that this is forbidden. Mind altering and control spells are outlawed for a very good reason." Rarity gave off a very lady like cough behind her hoof. She was right, the pot was calling the kettle black here, but in her defense she was almost crazy at the… time…

Oh, right. She forgot who she was talking to.

Luna defended their actions. "If you had taken the time to analyze the spell I was working, Twilight, you would have seen it was just a light perception change. I merely stopped everyone from judging what they were seeing, hearing, and feeling, by the perception of who was standing in front of them. Why do you think everypony stayed and didn't run out as soon as they saw us?"

Well, from that point of view, Twilight had to admit they were right. She had marvelled at the turnout at first. She should have asked herself why they were all being suddenly comfortable being in Luna's and Raegdan's presence. If all that Luna's spell did was give them an unbiased chance, she supposed she could keep her mouth shut about this.

"Alright. But this shouldn't become a habit. You can't be running around with those spells active all day." Luna and Raegdan nodded at her. For a second, Twilight's mind flashed an overlay of the Cutie Mark Crusaders nodding along. She was going to keep an eye out for Luna's spellcasting.

"Gaaghh, nooooooo! I'm not doing this, nuh uh. Never, no, nada."

Oh, good. Rarity had taken it upon herself to explain what Pinkie's treatment was, judging from the green tinge. The next few minutes were not going to be fun.

Raegdan opened the door and called out while unwrapping the bandage around his wrist. "Hey, doctor! I'm ready to serve breakfast." Not fun for _all_ of them, that's what Twilight should have thought.

* * *

Almost an hour later, Raegdan was being served a breakfast/lunch combo in bed. Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy had done everything they could to keep Pinkie Pie from throwing up all the blood she had drank straight from Raegdan's wrist. They still were not completely sure on how his "antimagic" worked, so to keep safe they kept going at it with the most disturbing way they could possibly find.

With no blood reserves, Raegdan was now forced to restore himself naturally. A large meal was made for him, courtesy of Luna and a volunteered Spike, with a wide variety of raw vegetables, fruits, a large serving of meat that Luna cooked herself once more, and plenty of milk. They put him on a bed next to Pinkie Pie and he was expected to sleep a few hours at least as soon as he was done.

They had really overdone it with the food, but apparently Luna was planning to help herself to it. Raegdan allowed Spike to dig in but stopped him from trying the meat, refusing to allow him any until he was of an age when he could safely digest it.

Twilight suspected it he was more concerned about where Spike would get a supply of meat if he developed a taste for it. Something told her that as soon as Spike grew enough, Raegdan would pop in Ponyville to teach him "animal behaviors and woodland ways".

"Are we blood related now? Does that make us family?" Pinkie Pie asked weakly from her bed.

Raegdan paused, his fork staying midway between his plate and mouth. "I'm sorry, little pink, but what?"

Pinkie Pie gasped excitedly. Some of her old giddiness was returning to her. "It does! You even gave me a little nickname, like Twilight and Spike! I'm your little pink now!"

Raegdan's eyes widened as he realized what he said. "Oh, no. No, that was just a slip-"

"I'll be calling you dad from now on!"

"No, you wo-"

"Twilight, hey Twilight!" Pinkie was making an effort to wave at her. "We are sisters now! Isn't that absolutely fantabulous?"

Raegdan addressed Twilight. "She is not gonna give up, will she?"

"No. And when she is able to move again she is gonna hug you and not let go for hours," Twilight told him. She should probably keep the "I got adopted" party that Pinkie Pie was obviously planning as she lay in her bed a surprise.

"Ah, sh- I mean… uh, dang?" Luna and Spike chuckled. "I just got drank by the Count there, spare me."

Shining Armor levitated a chair for himself next to Raegdan's bed. "I believe we should have a discussion about the case now?"

"Indeed, Captain Armor. Do you require information from us?" Luna asked as she delicately patted her muzzle with a napkin.

"As much as possible. Have there been more attempts? Do you have any suspects? Have you noticed anything strange?"

"No, no and, let's see... no," Raegdan answered.

"He is lying," Twilight tattled. "Come on, it's Shining! Tell him the truth."

Raegdan gave off a resigned sigh. "Yes, there have been more attempts. About eleven so far. Everything from poison to spells activated by proximity."

Shining was shocked to hear that. "How did you manage to escape all of them?"

Raegdan shrugged. "Pretty easy after the first attempt. I just taste everything first and check every room on my own, everyday. Especially if we are both gone from the tower even for a bit. That's when almost all of them occurred. Magic doesn't affect me and everything else is treatable."

"Everything else?"

"Luna knows how to treat almost any poison now. And that attempt with the spring daggers was laughable. I am much taller than you guys. They only got me in the thigh. Now, if I was turned to the side, that would be _really_ bad."

Twilight tried to work her jaw closed again. Spike was gaping at Raegdan. Luna returned to eating and Raegdan took a break to shovel some more food in his mouth.

"Now, suspects. I guess, everyone? I am pretty sure that at least some of your guards are on a double payroll, if you get my meaning. Servants too. That doesn't mean anything though, it's been like that forever as far as I know, but it gives everyone a way in."

"I didn't know that!" Shining exclaimed. Twilight didn't either. Ponies were accepting bribes in Princess Celestia's own castle?

"Outsider's view and all that. There's a lot of cr- things going on that you guys are in the dark about. At least, that's what I think, but hey. I could be wrong. Love and peace reigns in the land, right? Who would accept money to take a bathroom break on a particular time, letting three certain ponies inside the castle that could be, say, foalnappers?" Raegdan finished with sarcasm.

"Is that what you think happened? That the Guard let them in?" Shining Armor asked with wonder.

"No, they found the super secret passage that led to Twilight's room, but couldn't get out from there again because they lost the key. Are you sure you didn't cheat on your exams, Shining?"

Shining's face reddened. "Hey, I just never thought about that. I assumed they used some kind of magic to get in."

Raegdan sighed again. "Of course you did." He turned towards Luna. "See, this is what I am talking about."

"Indeed," said Luna after swallowing, "our ponies' tendency to consider magic before more mundane ways is quite the blind spot."

"So you do have suspects," Shining Armor said.

"I can point at a lot of people and tell you things that would make your mane stand so much on end, Cadence would split with you on the spot. But nothing solid. No. No suspects for this. If you wait until the next one I will point you at Steadfast Ray though."

"Cadence?" Twilight asked. "Our Cadence? My playmate? Shining?"

"I, uh, I'll tell you later, Twily." Raegdan smirked at Shining's glare. More secrets? Seriously? From Shining Armor too? "So, what we have to go on is…"

"I believe the phrase is "a big, steaming pile of manure"," Luna said. "The only conclusion we have reached is that there are more that one parties involved, one of them much less skilled. Some of those attempts were downright ludicrous in their execution."

"Everyone's gunning for us in the assassination business. Isn't that nice?" Raegdan said.

Their brief conference with Shining Armor turned to be a waste of time. The only outcome they came to was that they had no idea where to even start, and that Twilight owed her brother some personal time or "Raegdan smash". Shining left shortly after, intending to ask a lot of Guards certain questions. Before he left, he paused to talk to Raegdan, without anypony hearing them. Raegdan's response to Shining's long speech was an intense shake of the head and a chilling exchange.

"All of them. I was very thorough in my questions."

Shining paled a little but looked grimly satisfied. "Are you sure?"

"I may have even gone overboard a bit."

"How did you hide-"

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Shining? You don't want to know more. Go and find me some suspects. They put your sister in danger. They are dead. You just need to let them know I'm on my way."

* * *

Twilight moved closer to the pair that was whispering to each other as they finished off their meal from the same plates. They were onto something and Applejack, along with other experiences, told her not to let them do something unsupervised.

"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently.

"We are making plans for the afternoon, after Raegdan had some rest," Luna answered her as she guided the last bite of meat to her mouth.

"Good, good." Act nonchalantly. "You are just curious," Twilight thought to herself. "So, any plans so far?" she asked loudly.

Raegdan swallowed and spoke. "We were thinking, since it will be visiting hours, we could make a visit ourselves."

Twilight chewed on that idea for a bit. She doubted anypony would be thankful for a visit from the two of them, but that was exactly the new view they needed to present outside. That they cared for ponies. Overall, Twilight approved.

"Anywhere in particular you want to go for first? Maybe the children's wing?" she asked with a smile. This could work. Children would be more welcome than others… hopefully.

"That's a good idea, but I had another pony in mind. What was her name again?" he asked Luna.

"Leaf Stream," Luna answered without pausing in her work of halving the cheese that was left in two portions.

"Yeah, her. Good idea, huh?"

There were some cracks in Twilight's vision. The colors were becoming less intense too. She wondered why.

"Oh, that's right," she thought. "He just broke my brain. It was only a matter of time I guess."

Pinkie Pie called out from her bed. "Hey, dad, do you think you could eat some chocolate before I need to drink again? I didn't like the taste!"

Raegdan rubbed at his eyes. "It doesn't work like that, little pink."

"Why not? If you eat something good, won't it get in you and change the taste? Maybe we can make you taste like licorice!" Pinkie Pie whined.

"That only works with fruits as far as I know, and it only affects the taste of- This discussion is over! Go to sleep!"

Luna's shoulders were shaking as she tried to contain her mirth. Twilight wondered what the joke was. "Maybe you should share some tips with them. Or haven't you had the talk yet?"

"Yes, the alien species is the best one suited for this job. That's why they had me explain the facts of life to Shining Armor and Twilight. I have no idea what they were thinking. You know, not to change the subject or anything, but where had you and your friends gone before, Twilight? You didn't go and start snooping somewhere you shouldn't, did you?"

Oh, look. The cracks returned and they brought friends.

"Little one? Little one! Hey, someone get that doctor back in here, now! She doesn't look good!"


	8. Interlude 1 - Luna's release

I look up at the wonder filled sky. Years and years of stargazing, and my heart still stirs at the sight. I follow the imaginary lines, tracing the figures and shapes that ponies have made for them through the years. I believe I have found one of my greatest joys in this new world.

To find out they care enough about the stars that they name them, that they give them stories and purpose. It was the most amazing discovery. I felt born anew when I read that. I could not control myself. I ran outside, eager to find somepony out at this late hour. For some reason, I believed I would have found scores.

There were only the guards. They were outside, awake, because that was their duty. I needed to find somepony else, anypony. I flew to the gardens and I managed to find a single gardener still awake during my night.

He bowed nervously when he saw me. They were all afraid of me, but they love my night so much now, I thought to myself.

In my haste I did not even attempt to be gentle or kind as my sister has asked of me. I needed to know, so I asked him, which was his favourite constellation.

He looked at me blankly. I thought it was the sudden question that threw him off. I was so wrong.

"The Big Dipper, I guess, Princess," he says in hesitance. I do not care how he phrases it. I do not care for the beads of sweat on his brow. I was so glad I could almost start dancing where I stood. There was change, I thought. There is hope.

"Why dost thou choose that one?" I ask. I was so giddy. I wanted him to tell me why he liked it, I needed his approval, I wanted to hear him say that the stars were beautiful.

I wanted to hear him say that he was thankful for my centuries of work and struggles; that ponies finally would give me my due for braving the terrors in their stead.

"It's the only one I know actually," he says. "I never really cared to learn any of them."

I froze. He was trying to stutter apologies I think. In retrospect, I can remember some blubbering noises coming from his direction, but he must have fled soon for I did not see him when I looked again.

My mind was taken over by a single word. "Lies". My night was not as loved as the day was. Celestia lied to my face. Where were the ponies that supposedly gazed at the night sky in droves? The lovers of comets? The reverie of the night? I spread my wings and flew, unseen. Nopony could ever tell me apart from my sky, not during my hours.

This new city, this Canterlot, has so many ponies living in it. It is truly a marvel. I spent an hour flying overhead, looking for the ponies that I was assured were there.

I found about two dozen. More than half of them were drunks that were returning home or heading for some gutter. Of the rest, some of them glanced up a few times. Then they kept walking. There was reverie, dancing, and music, but it was all done inside closed halls. Celestia could raise the sun right now and it would make no difference to them.

I returned to my room. I was fighting for control of my emotions. Of my voice. I wanted to scream. I wanted to let loose and tear everything apart, to crash these chambers, to collapse this tower, to find my sister and make her pay for the false hope she planted in me.

My anger was quick to be replaced by terror when I thought of her reaction. I returned to the balcony to look up to the moon. I loved it. I truly did. But I was not going back there. Not again. Not for a moment. I could not chance any confrontation with Celestia. I would have to become a shadow of myself. Follow behind her, take my cues from her, and always agree with her. To do otherwise would be madness.

I had but a shade of my old power. The weapon spared me this time, but it took so much from me. I used to be able to beat Celestia with my hoof tied behind my back. Now? I would barely last scant seconds against her full power. Even so, I prefer this than the alternative. But it leaves me so vulnerable against her.

I knew that Celestia loved me, but she would not risk Nightmare Moon again. If she found out… would she even hesitate? Maybe. But she would do it anyway, for the sake of her little ponies, for justice, for the false ideas she treasured. She would send for those six and they would come, the Elements riding on them.

I was hyperventilating. My throat was choking me and my vision was becoming blurry with tears. No, no, no. Not again, never again. That wasn't what I wanted. It was supposed to be simple, all so simple.

Buck your mercy, Celestia. Buck it to Tartarus.

What was I left with? An eternity of giving up all I was, so I could live in constant fear? One day Celestia would ask the right questions. I would be returned to that hell, but this time there would be no hope of escape to sustain me. I would be trapped forever, for in her kindness she believed it was better than killing her sister. And I would spend eternity banished to the heart of my charge. Undying and alone.

I could not defend myself. I could not run from her. I could not hide. The lie would break someday. Or I would.

It all happened for a reason after all. This had not changed. I was still the reviled one. Even worse than I used to be. All I ever did for them was no longer set aside in the face of their fear. No, worse, it was not even remembered.

I would break again. I knew it. It was inevitable. My plan to be the loyal little sister would not hold.

I wiped my eyes furiously. I could not stop crying. I did not know, was it because I was so afraid or because I mourned for my predetermined fate?

The relentless Steward of the Night was now nothing more than a sad, weak mare, lying in a puddle of her snot and tears.

I had to do something. I was not getting banished again, never again. But I had no way to stop this. It was coming. Celestia would overpower me, her burning eyes would give me one last look of disgust and judgement, and then her precious bearers would send me screaming to…

What right did she have to do this? I could feel my rage returning back to me. What did she know? Always so safe under her warm sun. She did not know what lived in the shadows and the dark. I did not know either, but I was the one who dared them so I could make them safe. I was the one who bled. I was the one who spent days hidden in a deep hole time after time, waiting for my wounds to heal so I could return back to my thankless task. I bled, hurt, starved, and suffered, night after night, century after century.

She wanted me to rectify my manners. Be gentle and kind. Where was the gentleness when I needed somepony to drag me out of the deep caves I delved? Where was the kindness when I prayed for a drop of water as I pulled myself inch by precious inch back to the world of the living? Where was laughter, generosity, loyalty, kindness, honesty, and the vaunted magic of friendship when I cried myself to sleep every time I ripped the remains of a foal out of a monster's gut?

Where was a simple word of appreciation and compassion for the role that was thrust upon me?

I tried to be kind, Celestia. You didn't see it, but I was. I was being kind to you. You would never have to know the truth.

But your kindness was merciless.

I have no options left. There are only two paths left to choose. Either I delay my fate for as long as I can or I escape it forever.

I have made my choice. I will not be kind.

I do not need to leave my chambers. The materials of this world are strong, even if made for another purpose. Silk sheets are quickly remade. It is so much easier to use cloth than vines and grass.

I need a clean space for this. The bedroom itself will do. A place to sleep. It is fitting.

I wonder if I should leave a message. A note or a letter. I could say everything I was never able to say. I could make all my grievances known. Let my sister and the world know how they failed me. Lay the blame at their hooves with no way for them to counter my accusations. It would be cathartic to write something like that.

I decide not to. Let them wonder, if they care to do so. Besides, to put such effort into something that only Celestia would show interest for… the thought brought new pangs of pain.

I look at my release. My way out. It needs to be a little higher. I fix that quickly. I test my weight on it. It holds. It won't be painless and I will have to stop myself from fighting it. I can do it. I have to. It's not like I have any other choice.

I sit and wait. I will not leave yet. It is still nighttime. My time. I will wait until the time comes to lower my moon. It will drain everything I have but I won't need magic for what comes next. Poor Celestia. She will think that I have taken my duties back. That her sister has returned to her fully.

Good. Let her feel as I felt. Have the fleeting hope ripped away from her.

These will be my last hours. I do not spend them thinking any more of those petty thoughts. I focus my being on what is truly important. I consciously take each and every breath, entranced in the way oxygen fills my lungs and renews me. I listen to my heartbeat, going strong as it always had. Knowing it was their last beats was making them a fascinating music to my ears. I inhale the scents of the night. I always thought you could smell the night. I wonder if anypony else ever felt the same. I doubt it. I close my eyes briefly. I want to feel the gentle breeze that flows over the fine hairs of my coat as much as possible.

It is such a marvel to be alive, to breathe. To survive. It was the greatest lesson I ever learned on my own. Survival was paramount. Fight for every breath and struggle for the next beat of your heart. It was what drove me for so long. To make sure that as few ponies as possible would have to learn the lesson to the degree I did.

I was going to betray that lesson voluntarily. But subconsciously, ah, that was another matter entirely. That's why I stood completely still when I felt the blade kiss my neck instead of welcoming it.

Something soft and hard at the same time had wrapped itself around my horn. I felt the magic die on it's tip. That route of escape was closed to me.

It was becoming a trend.

I did not move. Whoever had me at his or her mercy was in no rush to give the killing blow, despite how close to it they were. I stood still, experience telling me to wait for an opening.

I did not hear anypony approaching me. I felt no magic nearing me. How did my assassin get so close to me?

I do not move my head, but I am able to get a glimpse of him. A fleshy appendage is holding the dagger's hilt. It looks so much like a minotaur's hand but it's fingers look so much more slender. Strong, but slender. I do not see the muscles that operate them, but I am certain of it. They are gruff and pitted with the small scars that only a harsh life can give.

It has been over a minute. How much longer is this unknown gonna bathe in the anticipation of a kill? Why does he not gloat? He is going to do the impossible and kill an Alicorn. Where is the fevered bravado?

He finally talks. The voice fascinates me. It's accent is broken in a strange way, like he has trouble making the sounds, but trudges on through experience and effort alone.

"Is this what I think it is?" he asks. I know what he means. He has seen my escape route.

"Aye, it is." I tell him. "I have no fear of you, see? My fate was already sealed before you came in. It is a hollow victory you gain here."

"Huh," he says and goes silent again. I wait him out. I wasn't planning on doing anything anyway. One way or another, this ends tonight.

It is a few minutes before he talks again. His blade has not wavered in the slightest. He has the patience you would expect from a hunter. The stillness.

"Twilight Sparkle," he says.

I stay silent. He did not wait for an answer anyway.

"She is my little one. She faced you. And you would have killed her."

"Mayhaps," I answer. In truth, I do not know. So many of my actions that night are still a mess in my mind. I wasn't thinking at the time, I knew. I was acting on imagined scenarios. I never even realized I was actually free until I saw the Elements of Harmony appear before me. The shock could have killed me, to understand you are free and not enjoy it until you see the door closing on your face again.

Hope is so fickle and cruel.

The blade removes itself. "Turn around," he commands. I oblige. I want to see him anyway.

He is like nothing I have ever seen. He is very large and his scars are ferocious. I know, just by the look in his eyes, that he too has learned the lesson of survival. As well as I know it myself. Perhaps even better.

We both understand each other in that moment. We know we share one common trait. The pain of lonely survival. I never knew somepony who truly knew what it was like to live my kind of life.

I am glad he is here. For the first time in a very long time I no longer feel alone.

He keeps staring at me. I know he shares some of my thoughts. But he is not here to give up. He has something to fight for, so he keeps on guard. To challenge him would be to die like a foal at this time. His stare moves from me to my release and back again.

I do not know why he delays. I know what he came here to do. He is here to protect his little pony. Like I did. Like my sister does.

He lifts the blade up. I raise my head, revealing my throat. A quick end. This will be so much better.

His long legs make their way around me. He heads for the makeshift rope and uses the blade to cut it down. I am unable to do anything but watch in shock.

He takes a seat on my bed. He still holds the rope I made and uses the blade to cut it into smaller and smaller pieces. What is this person doing? What is he playing at?

His small eyes lock into mine. There is a cold fury in them. I betrayed the lesson and he knows it. But I know something else too.

He tried to betray it too. I realize who he is now. Celestia told me about him. Warned me against meeting him.

The alien being standing in my room made his way into my chambers and caught me by surprise. He could've kill me and I would've never known. I knew now why I did not sense magic, but how did he keep me from hearing his approach?

I look at the end of his legs. Of course. He did not have hooves and he had his fleshy feet bare. Such a simple advantage that allowed him to best one of the former most powerful beings of this world.

There is no more silk to cut in pieces. I am his sole attention now. I wonder, what does he see? Does he see a Princess, like Celestia? A survivor that gave up? A weak mare that seeks the coward's way out?

"Why don't you have a seat next to me? I think we should talk for a while. I just had a very strange notion I would like to discuss with you." He smiles as he says that. Does he fool anypony else or am I the only one to see through it? This alien has no joy left in him. I would know.

"My name is Raegdan. Let's talk, Princess Luna."

I move to sit next to him. What is there to lose?

"By the way," he says, "I'm a big fan of your night. My kind always loved the stars. I try to learn your constellations, but there are so many of them. My favorite stars are those three in line over your northern star. They look like Orion's Belt. They remind me of home."

The night passes and dawn comes. I do not lower the moon. My sister takes the duty once more. Unlike what he requested, we do not talk. We both stay silent, reveling in the presence of the other. What is there to talk about? The essence is all around us.

To survive means to kill yourself again and again. In a battle against the greatest of monsters it is the true monster that will survive. In the fight against the world it is the truly cruel who will take the path that leads them to another dawn. We stay close and mourn in silence for our choices to keep living until exhaustion takes both potential victim and assassin.

Oh hope, you cruel thing. You fickle thing. Why are you back?


End file.
